WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Equal Opportunities

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what analysis the Government has undertaken of the extent of caste discrimination in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department of Communities and Local Government has conducted, with stakeholders, an informal scoping exercise to learn more about the extent to which some communities believe caste is a continuing social phenomenon within British society and to identify any evidence that individuals had been discriminated against on these grounds. The analysis of the responses has not yet been completed.

WALES

Fly Tipping

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for what time period evidence from members of the public, on illegal dumping of waste, is retained by the Environment Agency.

Paul Murphy: The Environment Agency has a formal records management procedure which addresses retention issues. Pursuant to that procedure, the Environment Agency's Legal Services would generally retain its files relating to a contaminated land issue, under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, for five years following the conclusion of that matter. The further retention of that file would then be reviewed.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the Leader of the House what payments her Office made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months; and for what purposes.

Helen Goodman: None.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the UK is providing to Afghanistan in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Details of the Department for International Development's expenditure plans for 2007-08 were published in its Annual Report 2007. Planned expenditure for Afghanistan in 2007-08 is £107 million. Final outturn data for 2007-08 will not be available until after the end of the fiscal year.

Discrimination

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many claims for discrimination, based on  (a) sex,  (b) race and  (c) sexual orientation, were brought by members of his Department and settled (i) in and (ii) out of court in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has settled fewer than five claims for sex discrimination brought by DFID staff in the last five years. All action was settled out of court in one year, 2003. There were no claims on the grounds of race or sexual orientation.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Accountancy

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1658W, on department accountability, how many distinct budget lines relating to her Department's expenditure and forecasts are reported to the Treasury monthly.

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the Home Office Departmental Report 2007 (Cm 7096) tables 5.2 and 5.3, pages 106 to 109.
	These tables show the resource and capital budgets at departmental objective level and their constituent budgets. The number of lines shown in the tables may vary from year to year depending on departmental policy and machinery of government changes.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding has been allocated to the alcohol arrest referral pilots.

Vernon Coaker: The total amount of funding which has been allocated to the alcohol arrest referral pilot is £600,000: £330,000 for the year 2007-08 and £270,000 for the year 2008-09.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many acceptable behaviour contracts were issued in each of the last two years; and what proportion have been complied with.

Vernon Coaker: Data on acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs) are not collected by the Home Office as they are voluntary agreements and therefore not suitable for central data collection. However, surveys carried out by the Home Office of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) indicated that over 25,000 ABCs have been made since October 2003. The Home Office has issued updated and comprehensive guidance for practitioners on the use of ABCs.
	A National Audit Office study in December 2006 found that such interventions were highly effective in combating antisocial behaviour.
	65 per cent. of people stopped behaving antisocially after one intervention;
	86 per cent. after two; and
	93 per cent. after three.

Cannabis

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of people who try cannabis for the first time each year.

Jacqui Smith: The British Crime Survey (BCS) provides information on the prevalence and trends of illicit drug use among 16 to 59-year-olds in England and Wales. The BCS does collect information on the use of cannabis at least once in a lifetime, use in the last year and use in the last month, but it does not routinely collect information on the number of people who tried cannabis for the first time each year.
	Questions on age of first use of illicit drugs were included in the 2003-04 BCS and this showed that the most frequent age of first use of cannabis was 18 years.
	The 2006-07 BCS shows that between 1998 and 2006-07 the proportion of 16 to 59-year-olds reporting use of cannabis in the last year has decreased from 10.3 per cent. to 8.2 per cent.

Crime Prevention: Retail Trade

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to reduce retail crime.

Vernon Coaker: The Government will continue to work in partnership with retail organisations to tackle retail crime. As part of this work we have set up, with the British Retail Consortium, a National Retail Crime Steering Group to provide an opportunity for discussion of retailers' crime concerns and to devise strategies to deal with these.
	In line with the new "Crime Reduction Strategy—A new partnership 2008-11" the work on reducing retail crime will focus on three key areas: raising the profile of crimes against business; improving engagement between retailers and crime reduction partnerships; and ensuring local partnerships have the guidance and the "tools" to develop local responses.
	One of the "tools" is being developed by the Perpetuity group with Home Office funding. The group is developing a crime reduction tool for small and medium-sized retailers to design out crime in their stores and significantly reduce the opportunities for shop thieves to operate.

Crime: Retail Trade

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of retail crime in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: No estimates of the cost of retail crime have been published by the Home Office in the last five years.

Crime: Rural Areas

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1966W, to the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone), on crime: rural areas, how many offences were recorded by the police in rural police force areas in each year from 1997-98 to 2001-02.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total offences recorded by the police in rural police force areas( 1) 
			  Financial year  Number of offences 
			 1997-98 625,540 
			 1998-99(2) 704,144 
			 1999-2000 710,640 
			 2000-01 678,161 
			 2001-02 747,283 
			 (1) The defining of rural police force areas within England and Wales has been taken in accordance with the ACORN ('A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods') guidance as published in the Statistical Bulletin 01/02 'Rural Crime England and Wales'. The data cover 13 forces which ACORN defines as either 'most rural' (Dyfed-Powys, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and North Wales) or 'less rural' (Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Mercia and Wiltshire). (2 )The coverage of recorded crime was expanded in 1998-99 and figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of her Department's expenditure was on advertising in each of the last 10 years.

Liam Byrne: Government policies and programmes affect the lives of millions of people and in order for them to work they must be communicated effectively. This is done with cost efficiency in mind and adherence to the strict rules on the propriety of Government advertising. In recent years, the Home Office has produced advertising to help empower people to protect themselves from crime, warn young people of the dangers of illegal drugs and help recruit police officers.
	The following table sets out advertising spend for the last five complete financial years, broken down by (i) advertising media spend; (ii) recruitment advertising spend; (iii) overall spend, and (iv) advertising as a percentage of that spend. Providing further historical figures would incur disproportionate costs. Figures for 2007-08 are not yet available.
	
		
			   Advertising (£)  Recruitment advertising (£)  Total Home Office spend (£)  Total advertising as a percentage of total Home Office spend 
			 2002-03 9,900,000 6,498 14,559,264,000 0.07 
			 2003-04 12,480,000 255,533 12,716,909,000 0.10 
			 2004-05 11,052,000 204,804 12,954,619,000 0.09 
			 2005-06 9,333,000 217,396 13,374,802,000 0.07 
			 2006-07 13,658,000 22,004 14,389,812,000 0.10

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in her Department were  (a) dismissed,  (b) subject to disciplinary procedures short of dismissal, (c) moved to less sensitive duties due to shortcomings in performance and (d) given early retirement in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The number of staff  (a) dismissed and  (b) subject to formal disciplinary procedures for poor performance within Home Office headquarters, the Border and Immigration Agency, Identity and Passport Service, and the Criminal Records Bureau, is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Dismissed  Disciplined short of dismissal 
			 2003 — — 
			 2004 0 15 
			 2005 — 13 
			 2006 5 38 
			 2007 12 62 
		
	
	Information prior to 2005 is not held centrally within Home Office HQ or the Border and Immigration Agency and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Where fewer than five members of staff were disciplined or dismissed, further information has been withheld on grounds of confidentiality.
	Information on the number of staff moved to less sensitive duties due to shortcomings in performance is not recorded centrally within Home Office HQ or the Border and Immigration Agency.
	Fewer than five members of staff within the Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau were moved to less sensitive duties due to poor performance, and further information on those cases has been withheld on grounds of confidentiality.
	The number of staff  (d) given early retirement within Home Office headquarters, the Border and Immigration Agency, Identity and Passport Service, and the Criminal Records Bureau in each of the last five financial years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2002-03 10 
			 2003-04 18 
			 2004-05 13 
			 2005-06 141 
			 2006-07 125 
			 2007-08 to date 56

Departmental Public Relations

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by her Department on external media relations during the 12 months to December 2007.

Jacqui Smith: Media relations for the whole Department and agencies are handled by the Home Office based press office and the Borders and Immigration Agency regional network of five press officers. The total cost of providing these services for the 12 months to December 2007 was £2,120,357(1)
	(1 )Includes the costs of the functions now attributable to MOJ until their transfer to the new Department in May 2007.

Entry Clearances

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many visa cases were personally considered by a Minister in her Department in 2007;
	(2)  what percentage of visa cases which were considered by Ministers in her Department as a result of the original decision by the Border and Immigration Agency was overturned in 2007; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  in what circumstances Ministers in her Department consider overturning a decision by the Border and Immigration Agency in a visa case; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: I refer to Lin Homer's letter to the Home Affairs Committee on 18 February 2008 which addresses the issue of ministerial consideration of individual cases.
	The specific information requested in (181382) and (181383) could be obtained by the detailed examination of individual case records only at disproportionate cost.

Human Trafficking: Children

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2008,  Official Report, column 793W, on human trafficking: children, who the Metropolitan Police Service Gold Commander for Operation Caddy was.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 29 February 2008
	This is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

Immigration: Gurkhas

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what rules govern applications for  (a) leave to remain and (b) British citizenship by Gurkha soldiers who completed their service (i) after and (ii) before 1 July 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 13 March 2008
	The rules applying to applications for leave to remain in the United Kingdom by former Gurkhas who completed their service on or after 1 July 1997 are set out in paragraphs 276E to 276K of the Immigration Rules. This information is contained on the Border and Immigration Agency website at:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/immigrationlaw/immigrationrules/part7/
	Former Gurkhas who are unable to fulfil the requirements of the Immigration Rules, including those who were discharged from service before 1 July 1997, may benefit from concessionary arrangements on a case by case basis where there are strong reasons why settlement in the UK is appropriate. Guidance for dealing with these cases is contained in Immigration Directorate Instructions, chapter 15, section 2A, at:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/IDIs/idischapter15/
	Gurkha soldiers who have completed their service in the British Army and wish to apply for British citizenship must make a successful application for naturalisation under section 6 of the British Nationality Act 1981. There is no distinction between those who enlisted before or after 1 July 1997.
	Policy requirements and procedures for handling nationality applications are available for viewing on the Border and Immigration Agency website at:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/nationalityinstructions/nichapter18/

Immigration: Gurkhas

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for  (a) leave to remain and  (b) British citizenship by Ghurkha soldiers who completed their service (i) after and (ii) before 1 July 1997 are being processed by her Department.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 13 March 2008
	There are 61 applications for naturalisation as a British citizen currently outstanding where Nepal is given as the place of birth. Without analysing each file and making further inquiries where necessary it is not possible to establish how many of these involve former Ghurkhas and if so, whether they were discharged before, on or after 1 July 1997.
	This information has been derived from local management information and is the best available. It is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

Immigration: Gurkhas

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for  (a) leave to remain and  (b) British citizenship by Gurkha soldiers who completed their service (i) after and (ii) before 1st July 1997 were (A) received and (B) granted in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 13 March 2008
	The new immigration rules enabling Gurkhas discharged on or after 1 July 1997 to apply for settlement became effective on 25 October 2004. Immigration data for applications and grants of indefinite leave to remain relating to former Gurkhas prior to 2004 are not available. Nor is it possible to provide a breakdown between those who retired before 1 July 1997 and those who retired on or after this date. The data for applications received and granted for the years 2004 to present are as follows:
	
		
			   Granted  Received 
			 2004 58 65 
			 2005 990 1,070 
			 2006 2,527 2,733 
			 2007 87 211 
			 2008 5 9 
		
	
	This information has been derived from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.
	The elevated figures for 2005 and 2006 reflect the higher number of cases dealt with under the transitional arrangements. Further details of the transitional arrangements are contained in the Immigration Directorate Instructions, chapter 15, section 2A, available for viewing on the Border and Immigration website at:
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/IDIs/idischapter15/
	Data on applications and grants of citizenship to former Gurkhas cannot be identified electronically and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Individual Support Orders

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much has been spent by her Department to encourage greater use of individual support orders;
	(2)  what proportion of antisocial behaviour orders had an individual support order attached in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: We made £500,000 available to the Youth Justice Board (YJB) in June 2005 to encourage Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) to apply to the courts for individual support orders when making an application for an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) on a young person aged 10 to 17. Funding from 2006 onwards was made available through the £45 million uplift given to the Youth Justice Board as part of their youth prevention budget. In 2007-08 the Youth Justice Board invested £31.2 million in grants to Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) to run a range of targeted prevention programmes. This investment supports over 400 evidence-based programmes across England and Wales. All of these programmes are available to support young people involved in antisocial behaviour and crime in order to reduce their involvement, as part of a tiered approach that involves ISOs where appropriate.
	Up until 31 December 2005, 5 per cent. ISOs were attached to ASBOs on young people in 5 per cent. of cases. New data are due to be published shortly which are expected to show the results of the joint Home Office, Youth Justice Board and Her Majesty's Court Service to increase awareness of ISOs.

Migration

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether EEA nationals fall within the scope of the fund to manage the transitional impact of migration proposed in the Path to Citizenship Green Paper; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 13 March 2008
	The Green Paper "The Path to Citizenship" published on 20 February 2008 proposes the creation of a new fund to help alleviate the transitional pressures we know migration can bring. The fund, if created, will allow us to release limited amounts of money quickly and responsively.
	Money for the fund will be raised through increases to certain fees for immigration applications. Under European law, EEA nationals exercising or seeking to exercise treaty rights in the UK are not subject to these fees. We will work closely across Government to develop a clear and transparent methodology for the appropriate surcharge with the aim of the fund operating from April 2009.

Migration: Finance

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much she expects her Department to raise for the fund to manage the transitional impact of migration announced in the Path to Citizenship Green Paper in each of the last five years of its operation; how these figures were calculated; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the operating costs of the fund to manage the transitional impact of migration announced in the Path to Citizenship Green Paper in each of the first five years of its operation;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the average contribution to be to the fund to manage the transitional impact of migration announced in the Path to Citizenship Green Paper by each new migrant, broken down by number of dependants.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 11 March 2008
	'The Path to Citizenship' published on 20 February 2008, outlines the Government's plans for a third phase of migration reform. That is reform of the path to British citizenship to reinforce our shared values. The consultation concludes on 14 May 2008.
	One of the proposals is to create a new fund to manage the transitional impact of migration, to which we will ask newcomers to contribute extra in payments to the public purse to help alleviate the transitional pressures we know migration can bring. The fund will allow us to release limited amounts of money quickly and responsively.
	We would aim to raise tens of millions of pounds with the fund operating from April 2009. We will work closely across Government to develop a clear and transparent methodology for the appropriate surcharge, including who should pay them, once the consultation has closed.

National High Tech Crime Unit: Manpower

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed in the National High Tech Crime Unit in 2005; and how many people are employed in the e-crime unit in the Serious and Organised Crime Agency.

Jacqui Smith: The number of people employed in the National High Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) varied from time to time but in July 2005 there were 54 persons employed in the NHTCU.
	The budgeted capacity of the SOCA e-crime unit is 58 posts. On 25 January 2008 51 of these posts were filled.

National Retail Crime Steering Group

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the members of the National Retail Crime Steering Group are; and what its terms of reference are.

Vernon Coaker: The National Retail Crime Steering Group is chaired by myself. The members are: the British Retail Consortium, Tesco, the John Lewis Partnership, the Co-op, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Association of Convenience Stores, the Action Against Business Crime Group, the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers and the Home Office Business Crime Team.
	The terms of reference for the group are as follows:
	National Retail Crime Reduction Strategy focusing on reducing retail crime. It will improve the co-ordination and delivery of retail crime reduction initiatives by all stakeholders.
	1. Assess and improve the tools available to measure the scale of retail crime nationally, and encourage Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to evaluate retail crime reduction initiatives locally.
	2. Identify and document initiatives currently being undertaken by Government, police, local business crime reduction partnerships and retailers to combat business crime.
	3. Identify and promote good practice for retailers to adopt in working with Government, police and local partnerships, to reduce retail crime and the underlying causes of crime.
	4. Assess and improve local engagement between retailers and neighbourhood police, taking into account local crime reduction plans.
	5. Investigate the opportunities for improving retailer involvement in Home Office and Ministry of Justice policy development.

National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been seized by the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit since the Serious Organised Crime Agency assumed responsibility for the unit in April 2006.

Jacqui Smith: The National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit (NTFIU) is not, nor has ever been, under the responsibility of the Serious Organised Crime Agency. The NTFIU is part of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorist Command.
	Since April 2006 the NTFIU have seized £1,344,271 in cash.

Offensive Weapons: Football

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many football spectators were charged with possession of weapons at matches in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Vernon Coaker: The following table provides details of the number of individuals charged, cautioned and convicted for possession of an offensive weapon in connection with regulated football matches in England and Wales.
	
		
			  Number of individuals charged, cautioned and convicted for possession of an offensive weapon in connection with regulated football matches in England and Wales 
			  Football season  Charged  Convicted  Cautioned 
			 2002-03 23 17 8 
			 2003-04 18 16 3 
			 2004-05 14 10 6 
			 2005-06 13 12 5 
			 2006-07 14 (1)8 9 
			 (1) A number of prosecutions for offences committed during season 2006-07 are currently in the Criminal Justice System.  Source: Football Banning Orders Authority

Organised Crime

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place a copy of the report from the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers on gun and gang crime in the Library.

Vernon Coaker: In August 2007, the Home Secretary requested an assessment from ACPO of the scale and nature of the problem of gun crime, particularly as it relates to young people and gangs. This report was produced as an internal discussion document to inform the developing debate and has been discussed at meetings of the Ministerial Taskforce overseeing the Tackling Gangs Action Programme. The report is also informing on-going research work and a guide for local authorities.
	The Home Office and ACPO are not proposing to publish this internal document. The guide for local authorities will be published by May 2008.

Organised Crime: Crime Prevention

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the ministerial task force for the Tackling Gangs Action Programme has met since its establishment.

Vernon Coaker: The first meeting of the ministerial task force for the Tackling Gangs Action Programme was held on 19 September 2007. Since then, it has met on 24 October, 28 November and 22 January. The next meeting is on 18 March 2008.

Police: Surveillance

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police applications to covertly monitor and record conversations between defendants and their legal representatives were approved in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The Government do not comment on such matters. However, in his recently-published report the Chief Surveillance Commissioner, the right hon. Sir Christopher Rose, stated that since at least 2005 there were no such applications and that there was no reason to believe that there was any unauthorised surveillance taking place.

Terrorism

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what authorisations she has made under section 48 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

Tony McNulty: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has made no such authorisations.

Terrorism

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 682W, on terrorism, how many days Lord Carlile of Berriew worked as the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation in each year since his appointment.

Jacqui Smith: As indicated in his reports for the following periods, Lord Carlile of Berriew has worked for the following number of days as independent reviewer of terrorism legislation:
	40 days on the report of the operation of the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2001;
	40 days on the report of the operation of the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2002 and 2003;
	40 days on the report of the operation of the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2004; and
	50 days on the report of the operation of the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2005.
	Although he does not explicitly mention the number of days he worked in his reports for 2006 onwards, I understand that Lord Carlile of Berriew worked some 69 days as independent reviewer of terrorism legislation between 11 April and 31 December in 2006 and for 42 days as independent reviewer of terrorism legislation between January and 25 August 2007. The figures for the period post 25 August are not yet available.

Theft: Metals

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the value of metal stolen in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: No estimates are available from the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office. It is not possible to identify the number of thefts where metal was stolen. Such offences are recorded in the "Other theft" classification and cannot be separately identified from other items stolen.
	In addition, the Home Office no longer collects recorded crime statistics on the value of property stolen. This data collection ceased in the late 1990s because the data were not considered to be reliable.

Theft: Vehicles

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles were  (a) reported stolen and  (b) recovered in each of the last three years, broken down by police force area.

Vernon Coaker: The available data relating to offences of theft of a motor vehicle are given in the following table. The Home Office ceased to collect data on the number of vehicles recovered in 2001-02.
	
		
			  Offences of theft of a motor vehicle recorded by the police 
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,070 6,280 6,108 
			 Bedfordshire 1,965 2,185 1,882 
			 British Transport Police 811 541 457 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,720 2,265 2,347 
			 Cheshire 3,599 3,503 2,935 
			 Cleveland 3,616 2,901 2,256 
			 Cumbria 1,101 1,087 948 
			 Derbyshire 2,785 2,693 2,525 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,256 3,058 3,025 
			 Dorset 1,767 1,499 1,395 
			 Durham 2,088 2,134 1,889 
			 Dyfed-Powys 727 619 588 
			 Essex 6,419 6,253 5,629 
			 Gloucestershire 1,949 1,706 1,451 
			 Greater Manchester 18,794 17,001 14,877 
			 Gwent 3,189 2,694 2,633 
			 Hampshire 4,871 4,394 4,726 
			 Hertfordshire 3,445 3,361 2,821 
			 Humberside 6,096 4,857 4,067 
			 Kent 6,181 6,438 5,650 
			 Lancashire 4,514 3,849 3,738 
			 Leicestershire 3,506 2,566 2,772 
			 Lincolnshire 1,833 1,690 1,608 
			 London, City of 97 74 75 
			 Merseyside 9,354 7,161 6,198 
			 Metropolitan Police 48,026 43,463 37,599 
			 Norfolk 1,851 1,577 1,468 
			 Northamptonshire 3,415 2,896 2,731 
			 Northumbria 5,189 4,748 3,883 
			 North Wales 1,740 1,486 1,607 
			 North Yorkshire 2,097 2,154 1,585 
			 Nottinghamshire 6,284 4,798 4,609 
			 South Wales 7,336 6,896 6,484 
			 South Yorkshire 8,005 7,648 7,481 
			 Staffordshire 3,470 3,411 3,235 
			 Suffolk 1,645 1,264 1,408 
			 Surrey 2,413 2,229 2,205 
			 Sussex 4,379 3,626 3,353 
			 Thames Valley 7,651 6,829 6,384 
			 Warwickshire 1,919 1,751 1,696 
			 West Mercia 3,179 2,629 2,340 
			 West Midlands 17,091 14,482 12,249 
			 West Yorkshire 13,961 10,455 9,469 
			 Wiltshire 1,328 1,031 1,024 
			 Total 242,732 214,182 193,410 
			  Note: Includes aggravated vehicle taking.

Vladimir Ismaili

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008 on Vladimir Ismaili, what steps have been taken to discover the whereabouts of Vladimir Ismaili; whether enquiries have been made of the Albanian government on whether he has returned to that country; whether he will be deported if he is discovered in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 26 February 2008
	We continue to make every effort to ensure Mr. Ismaili serves the sentence imposed on him by Manchester Crown court. However, the details of the work undertaken in this matter are operationally sensitive.
	Consideration for deportation will commence once he is in custody beginning 12 to18 months prior to the completion of his sentence in line with the current policy on deportation of foreign national prisoners.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Air Pollution: West Midlands

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what air quality management areas there are in the West Midlands, broken down by  (a) year of designation and  (b) local authority; and where they are.

Jonathan R Shaw: A list of local authorities in the West Midlands with air quality management areas, and their date of designation, is provided in the following table. Some air quality management areas cover specific areas where air quality objectives in the Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000 are being, or are likely to be, exceeded, although local authorities often choose to designate their entire area as an air quality management area. Details on individual air quality management areas are available on local authority websites, which can be accessed through the UK Air Quality Archive at:
	www.airquality.co.uk/archive/laqm/list.php.
	
		
			  Authority  Date of effect 
			 Birmingham City Council 10 January 2003 
			 Bridgnorth DC 1 April 2005 
			 Bromsgrove DC 21 July 2001 
			 Cannock Chase Council 28 July 2006 
			 Coventry City Council 1 August 2003 
			  31 August 2004 
			 Dudley MBC 10 March 2003 
			  18 April 2005 
			  6 December 2007 
			 East Staffordshire BC 26 February 2007 
			 Herefordshire Council 23 November 2001 
			  1 March 2006 
			 North Warwickshire BC 1 March 2001 
			 Oswestry BC 1 June 2003 
			 Rugby Borough Council 16 December 2004 
			 Sandwell MBC 26 July 2005 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham BC 1 May 2003 
			  1 March 2006 
			 South Staffordshire DC 1 March 2006 
			 Stoke-on-Trent CC 23 November 2001 
			  15 August 2002 
			  4 April 2006 
			 Walsall MBC 1 April 2006 
			 Warwick District Council 20 December 2004 
			 Wolverhampton CC 22 March 2005 
			 Wychavon DC 1 September 2007 
			 Wyre Forest DC 6 January 2003

Alcoholic Drinks: Imports

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions there are on the importation from the EU of lower alcohol wine where the alcohol content has been reduced using new technologies.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding 13 March answer 2008
	Wine produced and marketed in the EU must comply with the requirements set out under the Common Market Organisation (CMO) for Wine (Council Regulation (EEC) 1493/99).
	Currently, the use of spinning cone and reverse osmosis technology to reduce the alcohol content of EU wine is not permitted under the CMO. However, we understand that this technology is being trialled on an experimental basis in a number of member states.
	Wine imported into the EU is subject to the same rules and standards as wine produced in the EU. However, the EU has agreed bilateral trade agreements with a number of member states. These provide for the mutual recognition of approved wine-making practices in the countries concerned, including the use of alcohol-lowering technologies, such as spinning cone and reverse osmosis.

Angling

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what measurements he plans to use to assess the effectiveness of steps to improve the UK recreational bass fishery;
	(2)  if he will estimate the potential value of the UK's recreational sea angling sector to the economy if management policies for recreational sea fisheries were directed towards optimising participation levels; and if he will assess the likely impact of such a policy on the creation of business opportunities.

Jonathan R Shaw: Where the measures I have announced, to provide benefits for recreational bass fishing and for recreational sea angling in general, result in detailed proposals for legislation, a consultation accompanied by an impact assessment would need to be carried out. The impact assessment would include an assessment of the costs and benefits of any proposals in relation to individual anglers and to businesses dependent on angling. The Drew report, funded by DEFRA, into the economic impact of recreational sea angling in England and Wales provides some baseline data against which any improvements could be measured.

Angling: Licensing

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to proceed with the introduction of a sea angling licence; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I met sea angling representatives at the Angling summit on 18 February where a number of concerns were raised with me regarding the introduction of a chargeable licence for sea angling. I have also discussed the issue direct with anglers around the coast, as have my officials. In view of the concerns expressed, including the extent to which sea anglers expected to see benefits from the charge, I have decided not to proceed with enabling powers in the Marine Bill to introduce a sea angling licence.
	I will, none the less, continue with a package of other measures that aim to provide benefits for anglers, including a review of nursery areas for the protection of bass stocks and of inshore netting, and a pilot study on area-based restrictions to support sea angling. I have also recently announced measures to increase protection of tope, a key species for anglers.
	I will reconsider the arguments for introducing a recreational sea angling licence at some stage in the future in the light of progress on the aforementioned measures.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration he has given to permitting the use of cypermethrin for spray use only to protect sheep from midges which may transmit bluetongue disease.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has published "Bluetongue - Guide on the disease vector and potential mitigation measures" which emphasises that no single measure will prevent midges biting animals.
	However, a combination of measures will sequentially reduce the risk of biting and reduce the risk of animals becoming infected with bluetongue. These measures may include the removal of midge breeding sites, insecticide use and considering the geographical location of animals on the farm, for instance, moving animals to areas of low midge activity at certain times.
	No insecticides are authorised specifically for use against 'Culicoides', the midge species which spreads bluetongue virus. Synthetic pyrethroids such as Deltamethrin and Cypermethrin have performed best in tests. However, they do not entirely remove the risk of an animal contracting bluetongue in their short period of protection (one to two days at best).
	Such insecticides are also very toxic to insect life in rivers and streams. Therefore, livestock keepers should also be aware of the environmental effects of using these products. Further guidance is available on the DEFRA website.

Dogs: Electric Shock Equipment

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what research his Department has  (a) commissioned,  (b) conducted and  (c) evaluated on the effects of the use of electric shock collars on dogs;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on research into electric shock collar use on dogs in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: In 2006, the Department carried out a literature search and evaluated all the available peer-reviewed scientific studies on the welfare consequences of electronic training aids for dogs. Because the available evidence was not sufficient to fully inform policy, we have commissioned research to run from 2007 to 2010 at a cost of £469,000. We have also asked the Companion Animal Welfare Council, an advisory body on companion animal welfare matters, to take forward an independent study of the available evidence on the use of these electronic training aids to complement our funded research. We have not commissioned or conducted any other research on this subject during the last 10 years.

Dogs: Licensing

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will introduce dog licences;
	(2)  if he will introduce compulsory micro-chipping of dogs.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 14 March 2008
	DEFRA is not planning to introduce mandatory dog licenses nor compulsory microchipping of dogs, with the exception of types of dogs covered by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (as amended 1997) which must be microchipped by their owners. DEFRA supports voluntary identification, whereby dog owners voluntarily undertake to have their pets permanently identified and registered on nationwide databases.

Dogs: Noise

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms are available to deal with noise pollution from barking dogs; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Local authorities have a statutory duty to investigate complaints in England and Wales under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
	Section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended) lists what is capable of being a statutory nuisance. At section 79 (1) (a) is
	"any premises in such a state as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance";
	At section 79 (f) is
	"any animal kept in such a place or manner as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance";
	and at section 79 (g) is
	"noise emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance".
	"Premises" can be dwellings; places of business, trade or industry; land; beaches; vessels; and the sea (for noise nuisance "premises" can also be vehicles and loudspeakers on the street).
	In 2005, DEFRA published "Constant Barking Can Be Avoided: Offering Guidance To Dog Owners", for use by environmental health practitioners and dog wardens. DEFRA also published the leaflet "Is your dog barking too much?" for the owners of noisy dogs.

Dredging

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he last discussed marine aggregate dredging with his counterparts in the European Union; what the outcome of such discussions was; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have had no recent discussions with European Union Ministers on marine aggregate dredging.

Dredging

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of sand and gravel extracted from the coastline through marine aggregate dredging was exported to another EU member state in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA do not record detailed statistical information pertaining to the export of marine aggregates since this is generated for, and kept by, the Crown Estate.
	Exports of marine aggregates from UK licensed areas account for about one-third of the total production. It is important to note that this material is not extracted from the UK coastline, but from licensed offshore dredging areas following a comprehensive environmental impact assessment.
	The following table (courtesy of the Crown Estate) outlines the percentage of aggregates extracted from Crown Estate licences within the UK seabed.
	
		
			   Total UK aggregates landed from Crown Estate licensed areas (tonnes)  Percentage UK landed aggregates exported to EU member states 
			 1996 19,392,935 35 
			 1997 19,959,782 34 
			 1998 20,471,191 34 
			 1999 20,910,000 35 
			 2000 20,684,340 35 
			 2001 21,077,968 33 
			 2002 20,361,779 30 
			 2003 20,107,368 30 
			 2004 19,668,769 31 
			 2005 19,562,636 33 
			 2006 20,145,414 33 
		
	
	Further information can be found in the British Geological Survey Report entitled 'The strategic importance of the marine aggregate industry to the UK' at:
	http://www.bmapa.org/downloads/BMAP_download.pdf
	or from the Crown Estate website at:
	http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Disease Control

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the independent review of the safety of UK facilities handling the foot and mouth disease virus; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 25 February 2008
	Professor Brian Spratt's Independent Review of the safety of UK facilities handling foot and mouth disease (FMD) virus made 14 recommendations, all of which the Government accepted, agreed to or agreed to in principle.
	The recommendations in relation to immediate action on containment have all been addressed. Progress in implementing them is kept under close review through regular inspections by DEFRA and the Health and Safety Executive. In relation to the recommendations on further action on biosecurity and biosafety, the chief veterinary officer recently wrote to Merial and the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) to remind them of the importance of clarity of roles, responsibilities and effective communications. Once we received assurances that sufficient mechanisms were in place, and following progress in relation to the immediate actions on containment, Merial's licence to handle specified animal pathogens was restored on 25 February 2008. DEFRA officials continue to work closely with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate about inspections at Merial.
	In relation to the recommendations on funding, design and governance, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council established the Beringer Review to seek to improve the funding, risk management and governance of the IAH. I understand that the review is expected to report in April. At present, we do not believe that further work on identifying the source of the virus would add to our understanding of the measures that need to be put in place, but we will keep that assessment under review.
	In relation to the recommendation on the regulatory and inspection framework, Sir Bill Callaghan was requested to lead a review examining ways of simplifying and strengthening the regulatory framework for animal pathogens. The review reported on 13 December. In the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the House in December, he accepted all the recommendations in this review and progress is being made in implementing these.
	Further detail on progress being made on each of the recommendations of the investigations into the biosecurity at Pirbright is available on the DEFRA website.

Pollution Control: Fees and Charges

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 11 March 2008,  Official Report, column 8WS, on local authorities fees and charges 2008-09, what revenue was raised from fees and charges by local authorities for local air pollution prevention and control and local authority-integrated pollution and control in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07; and what estimate he has made of revenues for (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09.

Jonathan R Shaw: According to the returns made by local authorities, the revenue from these fees and charges were £8,901,846 in 2005-06, and £8,324,448 in 2006-07.
	Future revenue will be dependent on any changes to the level of fees and charges, the number of regulated installations, and the number of permit applications made. DEFRA will continue to review the charging levels annually in consultation with key stakeholders, and those for 2008-09 have just been published on the Department's website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ppc/localauth/fees-risk/fees.htm.
	We are currently working on a better regulation review of certain sectors; a possible outcome is that some sectors could be removed from regulation or subject to lighter-touch regulation with lower charges.

Rights of Way

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many rights of way have been restored by local authorities under Discovering Lost Ways since the scheme's inception.

Jonathan R Shaw: At present, no rights of way have been added to the definitive map as a result of the Discovering Lost Ways project.
	Five claims have been submitted in Cheshire and are currently being processed. A further 21 case-files have been passed to Shropshire county council for its consideration.

TRANSPORT

A30: Bodmin

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department and its agencies propose to grant route protection status to the A30 Temple to Bodmin Improvement Scheme.

Tom Harris: Route protection status was granted in April 2005 and remains in place.

Birmingham New Street Station

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the maximum number of train services able to call at Birmingham New Street Station per day  (a) at present and  (b) on completion of its redevelopment.

Tom Harris: holding answer 17 March 2008
	The redevelopment of New Street station will improve passenger handling capacity and facilities within the station itself. Growth will be achieved primarily via longer trains, as set out in the Rail White Paper published in July 2007. After the station project is completed, the station will not constrain such passenger growth over the West Midlands network.
	Calculation of the maximum number of trains on the network is the responsibility of Network Rail and depends on timetable, operational and infrastructure considerations.

Bus Services: Concessions

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will set the funding allocation to local authorities for concessionary bus passes based on a calculation of the number of pensioners that are eligible for it in each local authority.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The funding will be distributed by a special grant, in line with the wishes of local government, using a formula to direct funding to areas likely to experience increased costs such as urban and tourist centres and coastal towns. The formula used is based on the most popular option with local authorities from our recent consultation on the issue. The formula takes into account the eligible population in each area, bus patronage, overnight visitors and retail space. We are confident that sufficient funding in total will be distributed to cover the additional cost of the new England-wide concession.

Bus Services: Pensioners

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make an estimate of the annual cost of a free national bus pass for pensioners.

Rosie Winterton: The Government paid a grant of £31 million in total to travel concession authorities (TCAs) in England outside London in this financial year (2007-08) to cover the cost of issuing a new concessionary travel pass to every eligible person who applied for one. The passes grant is based on £4 for each pass in circulation at October 2007, uplifted by 20 per cent. to recognise that the new England-wide concession is likely to be more attractive than the existing one. £31 million is not an annual cost as passes can remain in use for up to five years. As TCAs may choose to replace them at more frequent intervals, it is not possible to calculate the exact annual cost.

Bus Services: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the likely take-up of the national concessionary bus fare scheme by individuals in the Peterborough city council area from 1st April 2008; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Funding for the England-wide statutory minimum will be distributed by a special grant, in line with the wishes of local government, using a formula to direct funding to areas likely to experience increased costs such as urban and tourist centres. The formula used is based on the most popular option with local authorities from our recent consultation on the issue.
	Local authorities are responsible for forecasting likely future take-up in their area based on local knowledge. In estimating the likely cost impact of the new concession, an assumption of 85 per cent. pass take-up across England was used. In October 2007, Peterborough city council had 20,500 pass holders who were entitled to free local concessionary bus travel. Approximately 30,000 older people resident in Peterborough will be eligible, from 1 April, for the new England-wide concession.

Departmental Equality

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent meetings she has held with the recognised unions to discuss equality matters in her Department; and when she next plans to meet them.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 28 February 2008
	The Secretary of State for Transport takes an active interest in equality and diversity matters in her department. However, she has not met with the recognised unions to discuss these as Ministers would not normally be involved in discussions about staffing, this would be a matter for the Permanent Secretary.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of Freedom of Information requests received by her Department have given rise to responses that have been published by her Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Information released under the FOI Act and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) has been published in almost 37 per cent. of cases. Of the 1,362 entries in the DfT disclosure log, some indicate that information released may only be viewed physically due to the format or volume of the material.
	DfT has adopted a selective disclosure log whereby only the most interesting and high profile pieces of information are published.
	The DfT disclosure log can be accessed under the Freedom of Information section at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/foi/

Driving: Sleep Apnoea

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of licensed drivers with sleep apnoea; what steps she plans to take to take account of this issue in proposals on road safety; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No statistics are available on the precise number of licence holders with obstructive sleep apnoea. The condition must be notified to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency so fitness to drive can be assessed. In 2006, the Agency processed approximately 7,000 cases. At present there is no evidence for additional measures.

Great Western Trains

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to her Written Ministerial Statement of 26 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 73-4WS, on First Great Western franchise, how often she will assess First Great Western's Remedial Plan once it is agreed.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport will assess progress on the First Great Western Remedial Plan every four weeks. Material non-compliance with the Remedial Agreement would be a default of the franchise agreement, which could lead to the Government terminating First Great Western's franchise.

Great Western Trains

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which parliamentary constituencies contain stations through which First Great Western provide services.

Tom Harris: The following constituencies contain stations through which First Great Western currently provide services:
	Aberavon
	Aldershot
	Arundel and South Downs
	Banbury
	Basingstoke
	Bath
	Bracknell
	Brentford and Isleworth
	Bridgend
	Bridgwater
	Brighton, Kemptown
	Bristol, East
	Bristol, North-West
	Bristol, West
	Cardiff, Central
	Carmarthen, East and Dinefwr
	Carmarthen, West and South Pembrokeshire
	Cheltenham
	Chichester
	Cities of London and Westminster
	Cotswold
	Crawley
	Daventry
	Devizes
	East Devon
	Dorset East
	South Dorset
	Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush
	Ealing, Southall
	Exeter
	Falmouth and Camborne
	Fareham
	Gloucester
	Guildford
	Havant
	Hayes and Harlington
	Henley
	Hereford
	Leominster
	Llanelli
	Maidenhead
	Mid-Worcestershire
	Mole Valley
	Monmouth
	Neath
	Newbury
	New Forest, East
	Newport, East
	Newport, West
	Northavon
	North Cornwall
	North Devon
	North Swindon
	North Wiltshire
	Oxford, West and Abingdon
	Plymouth, Devonport
	Plymouth, Sutton
	Portsmouth, North
	Portsmouth, South
	Reading, East
	Reading, West
	Reigate
	Romsey
	St. Ives
	Salisbury
	Slough
	Somerton and Frome
	Southampton, Itchen
	South-East Cornwall
	South-West Devon
	Stroud
	Surrey Heath
	Swansea, West
	Taunton
	Teignbridge
	Tewkesbury
	Tiverton and Honiton
	Torbay
	Torridge and West Devon
	Totnes
	Truro and St. Austell
	Uxbridge
	Wansdyke
	Wantage
	Westbury
	Weston-super-Mare
	West Worcestershire
	Windsor
	Witney
	Woking
	Wokingham
	Woodspring
	Worcester
	East Worthing and Shoreham
	Yeovil

Great Western Trains

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to her written ministerial statement of 26 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 73-4WS, on First Great Western franchise, 
	(1)  whether First Great Western will continue to report every month to her on its 40-point Recovery Plan;
	(2)  whether First Great Western will report every month to her Department on its Joint Improvement Plan.

Tom Harris: First Great Western will continue to report each four-week period on the outcomes of its performance improvement activities. All franchised train operating companies provide a four-weekly report on the outcomes of their Joint Performance Improvement Plans.

Great Western Trains: Passengers

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to her Written Ministerial Statement of 26 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 73-4WS, on First Great Western franchise, what her assessment is of passenger satisfaction on the First Great Western line.

Tom Harris: First Great Western recorded the highest level of passenger dissatisfaction as measured by the National Passenger Survey for autumn 2007.

Great Western Trains: Passengers

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to her Written Ministerial Statement of 26 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 73-4WS, on First Great Western franchise, whether she has required First Great Western to consult passengers on the targets and requirements of their Remedial Plan.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State has not required First Great Western to consult passengers on the targets and requirements of the Remedial Plan. However, the Secretary of State looks to First Great Western to consult passengers when developing its proposals for detailed implementation of the Passenger Benefits Package.

Heathrow Airport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to conduct an assessment of the impact on the UK economy of her plans for a third runway at Heathrow.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A draft Heathrow impact assessment is set out at Annex B, 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport Consultation Document'.

Heathrow Airport: Disclosure of Information

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will consolidate the technical reports released in conjunction with Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport into a single document for publication.

Jim Fitzpatrick: During the consultation, a CD was available which contained all the consultation documents, including the technical documents. However, we have no plans to consolidate the 14 technical reports into one publication.

Heathrow Airport: Tourism

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the likely economic impact of Heathrow expansion on UK tourism.

Jim Fitzpatrick: An assessment of the possible impact of additional Heathrow capacity on tourism is set out in the "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport Consultation Document, Annex B: Impact Assessment (para 2.43 - 2.47)".

Humber Bridge

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times car journeys have been made across the Humber bridge in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Humber bridge is the responsibility of the Humber Bridge Board, which is made up from members of the Humberside local authorities. The Humber Bridge Board publishes traffic statistics on its website:
	http://www.humberbridge.co.uk/trafficstatistics.php
	The latest figures taken from this website are:
	
		
			  Class  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total to date 
			 1 53,289 64,680 66,871 70,217 72,856 70,989 66,782 64,140 67,751 1,445,181 
			 2 5,107,144 5,101,163 4,914,832 5,074,899 5,310,783 5,391,743 5,476,259 5,486,438 5,550,908 112,363,534 
			 3 180,002 172,880 157,489 157,144 164,520 164,571 167,960 161,362 156,025 4,027,578 
			 4 152,679 150,352 142,850 130,969 128,568 121,891 117,430 120,148 115,138 3,854,933 
			 5 31,222 31,350 28,421 31,915 31,132 28,068 26,826 25,678 25,572 804,644 
			 6 269,432 271,528 250,205 259,485 274,402 262,180 258,514 274,246 274,427 5,988,192 
			 Exempt 207,994 212,839 212,097 229,445 234,410 266,089 270,399 290,818 295,320 4,186,182 
			 Total 6,001,762 6,004,792 5,772,765 5,954,074 6,216,671 6,305,531 6,384,170 6,422,830 6,485,141 132,670,244 
			  Notes:  Class 1: Motorcycles. Class 2: Cars and light vans up to 3.5 tonne gross weight. Motor caravans. Class 3: Light vans up to 7.5 tonne gross weight. Vehicles in class 2 above with trailer. Small buses (seating for 9-16 passengers). Class 4: HGV—2 axles. Large buses (seating for 17+). Class 5: HGV—3 axles. Class 6: HGV—4+ axles.

Itis Holdings

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley of 20 February 2008,  Official Report, column 735W, on Itis Holdings, what the  (a) date and  (b) purpose was of each payment made to Itis Holdings between 1 February 2005 and 31 January 2008, broken down by source of payment.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The date, purpose and source of the payments made by the Department of Transport and its agencies to Itis Holdings Ltd. between 1 February 2005 and 31 January 2008 is as follows:
	
		
			  Date of payment  Purpose/description  Payment made by: 
			 16 March 2005 January 2005 data for DfT(C) DfT(C) 
			 30 March 2005 February 2005 data for DfT(C) DfT(C) 
			 30 March 2005 January 2005 data for HA DfT(C) 
			 16 May 2005 March 2005 data for DfT(C), February and March data for HA DfT(C) 
			 11 July 2005 May 2005 data for DfT(C) DfT(C) 
			 11 July 2005 April and May data for HA DfT(C) 
			 11 July 2005 April 2005 data for DfT(C) DfT(C) 
			 1 September 2005 June 2005 data for DfT(C) DfT(C) 
			 1 September 2005 June 2005 data for HA DfT(C) 
			 21 September 2005 July 2005 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 7 November 2005 August 2005 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 16 December 2005 September 2005 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 16 December 2005 October 2005 data for HA DfT(C) 
			 16 December 2005 October 2005 data for DfT(C) DfT(C) 
			
			 22 February 2006 December 2005 data for DfT(C) DfT(C) 
			 22 February 2006 December 2005 data for HA DfT(C) 
			 22 February 2006 November 2005 data for HA DfT(C) 
			 22 February 2006 November 2005 data for DfT(C) DfT(C) 
			 21 March 2006 January 2006 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 11 April 2006 February 2006 data for DfT(C) DfT(C) 
			 11 April 2006 February 2006 data for HA DfT(C) 
			 12 June 2006 March 2006 data for DfT(C) DfT(C) 
			 12 June 2006 March 2006 data for HA DfT(C) 
			 19 June 2006 April 2006 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 17 July 2006 May 2006 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 14 August 2006 June 2006 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 12 September 2006 July 2006 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 25 October 2006 August 2006 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 8 November 2006 September 2006 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			
			 5 January 2007 October 2006 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 17 January 2007 November 2006 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 16 January 2007 Origin Destination Study for HA HA 
			 21 February 2007 December 2006 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 21 March 2007 January 2007 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 4 May 2007 February 2007 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 25 May 2007 March 2007 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 4 July 2007 April 2007 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 30 July 2007 May 2007 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 22 August 2007 June 2007 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 26 September 2007 July 2007 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 19 November 2007 August 2007 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			 10 December 2007 October 2007 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			
			 22 January 2008 November 2007 data for DfT(C) and HA DfT(C) 
			  Notes: 1. Data (as in January 2005 data for DfT(C)) refers to Global Positioning System (GPS) location data, used for congestion monitoring; 2. HA is the Highways Agency and DfT(C) is the central Department for Transport.

M6: Heysham

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Heysham/M6 Link (Northern Route) has gained programme entry status for funding.

Rosie Winterton: The proposed Heysham to M6 Link Road has yet to receive programme entry. In order to take a decision on programme entry, the Department requires confirmation that the North West region continues to support the scheme at the latest estimated cost of £140 million. In addition, Lancashire county council are currently revising their Major Scheme Business Case which will enable the Department to conclude its value for money assessment and appraisal of the scheme.

Motorways: Tolls

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how she plans to enforce the proposed pay as you go use of certain carriageways on motorways by  (a) UK drivers and  (b) those driving foreign registered vehicles; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether she plans to charge the owners or drivers of vehicles displaying diplomatic plates for the use of the pay as you go carriageways on motorways.

Rosie Winterton: In her written statement to Parliament of 4 March 2008, the Secretary of State said that Government would be exploring a range of options to manage traffic on motorways where extra capacity is being provided. One of these options is to charge a toll for using one of the lanes. The details of how this could work in practice are currently being developed.

Passenger Ships

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cruise ships operated from UK ports in each year since 1997; and under which countries' flags in each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is shown in the following table, for 1999 to 2006. This information was not collected in 1997 and 1998.
	
		
			  Number of cruise ships using UK ports 1999-2006, by country of registration 
			  Flag  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Bahamas 16 11 16 19 19 19 19 17 
			 Barbados — — — — — — 1 — 
			 Bermuda — 1 1 — 2 1 7 6 
			 Cyprus — 1 — — — — — — 
			 Greece 3 3 3 1 1 — — — 
			 Italy — 1 — 3 3 1 3 3 
			 Japan — 1 — — — — 1 1 
			 Liberia 2 1 1 — 1 1 — — 
			 Malta — — 2 1 — 1 3 — 
			 Marshall Islands — — — — 3 1 2 1 
			 Netherlands 1 1 1 1 3 4 3 2 
			 Netherlands Antilles — — — — — — 1 1 
			 Norway 5 4 3 — — — — 1 
			 Panama 2 2 5 4 1 1 — 1 
			 Portugal — — — 1 2 2 2 2 
			 Russia — — — — — 1 — — 
			 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — — — 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Switzerland 1 — — — — — — — 
			 United Kingdom 9 8 7 8 15 11 8 7 
			 Wallis and Futuna Islands — — — 1 — — — — 
			 Total 39 34 39 40 51 44 51 43 
			  Note:  Table shows the number of vessels using UK ports to embark or disembark cruise passengers in each year. Each vessel may make multiple port visits.   Source:  DfT Cruise Passenger Returns.

Public Transport: Concessions

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her latest estimate is of the cost to her Department of implementing the concessionary fares scheme nationally.

Rosie Winterton: Following the introduction of the free off-peak local bus travel concession within local authority areas in April 2006, central Government provided an extra £350 million in 2006-07 and £367.5 million in 2007-08 (increasing annually) for statutory concessionary fares through the revenue support grant.
	The Department is now paying an additional special grant of £212 million to travel concessionary authorities in 2008-09 (and rising thereafter) just to cover the cost of extending the statutory minimum bus concession to provide free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England. This additional amount is based on our assessment of the likely cost impact of the new concession, which is based on generous assumptions about pass take-up, fares and increased patronage. It is enough to fund around an extra 200 million bus journeys across England.
	The money will be distributed by a special grant, in line with the wishes of local government itself, using a formula to direct to funding to areas likely to experience increased costs such as urban and tourist centres and coastal towns. The formula used is based on the most popular option with local authorities from our recent consultation on the issue. We are confident that sufficient total funding will be distributed to cover the additional cost of the new concession.

Public Transport: Research

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research she has undertaken on the reasons people choose not to use public transport  (a) to travel to work,  (b) to travel to school and  (c) to take their children to school.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has an ongoing programme of research to help improve its understanding of public attitudes and travel choices. This research continues to develop our understanding of the barriers and motivations to specific modal choices among different user groups and for different journey purposes including travel to work and school.
	The findings from the Department's research are used to inform the development of Government policy and communications in addition to best practice guidance for use by both public and private sector stakeholders.
	Examples of completed research studies are:
	 Understanding the travel aspirations, needs and behaviour of young adults
	This study has explored in depth the attitudes of young people towards mode selection for a range of journey purposes including travel to work and travel for childcare. The final report is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/scienceresearch/social/youngaspirations
	 Understanding the travel needs, behaviour and aspirations of people in later life
	This study has explored in depth the attitudes associated with the mode selection of older people for a range of journey purposes. The final report is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/scienceresearch/social/olderaspirations
	 Omnibus surveys of public attitudes
	The Department has commissioned regular surveys of public attitudes to public transport modes. The latest reports on public attitudes to rail and bus travel are available:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/trsnstatsatt/attitudestorailtravel11
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/trsnstatsatt/attitudestobustravel
	 The Families and Children Study (FACS)
	The Department contributes funds to this Department for Work and Pensions panel survey of 7,500 families including 13,500 dependent children. The survey provides information on the travel to school and work behaviours and choices of this group. Further information is available at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/facs/

Railways: Franchises

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she intends to publish the results of her Department's consultation on Enforcement policy: rail franchise agreements and closure conditions.

Tom Harris: The Enforcement Policy: Rail Franchise Agreements and Closure Conditions is being updated following responses to the consultation and in light of the recent enforcement activity concerning First Great Western. The results and the updated policy will be published in due course.

Road Traffic Control

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work her Department has carried out on traffic calming measures since 2005.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Transport (DfT) provides advice, technical guidance and regulations for the installation of traffic calming. Implementation of traffic calming on local roads is a matter for local authorities.
	The Highways Agency is responsible for implementing traffic calming on its road network. Since 2005, the Highways Agency has implemented 61 road schemes incorporating traffic calming elements. A list of all the schemes has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Since 2005, the DfT has made the following regulations relating to traffic calming which are available on the website of the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) at:
	www.opsi.gov.uk
	"The Quiet Lanes and Home Zones (England) Regulations 2006" (SI 2006, No. 2082)
	"Traffic Signs (Amendment) Regulations 2006" (SI 2006, No. 2083)
	Since 2005 we have published a number of guidance documents relating to traffic calming which are available on the DfT website at:
	www.dft.gov.uk
	Since 2005, the DfT has funded the Mixed Priority Road Safety Demonstration Project, the Inner City Road Safety Demonstration Project, the Neighbourhood Road Safety Initiative, and the Road Safety Partnership Grant Scheme, in which safety schemes have included some traffic calming measures.
	The DfT also contributed to "Traffic Calming Techniques" Institution of Highways and Transportation and County Surveyor's Society, 2005, available from:
	www.iht.org
	English Heritage and DfT worked together to produce "Streets for All" 2005, available from:
	www.english-heritage.org.uk
	a series of eight regional documents including a chapter about traffic management. The DfT also worked with English Heritage to produce a series of leaflets (including one about traffic calming) on improving streetscape in historic areas. English Heritage plan to publish the leaflets in spring 2008.

Roads: Lighting

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department and its agencies have made of the effectiveness of street lighting in reducing the  (a) risk and  (b) seriousness of road accidents.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The provision of street lighting on local roads in England is the responsibility of individual local highway authorities. The Department is currently undertaking research into the relationship between road accidents and the provision of street lighting on the local authority road network. We expect the research to be published in the summer.
	The safety benefits of road lighting on the strategic road network (motorways and major A roads in England) operated by the Highways Agency in England were most recently assessed in 2006. That analysis of 11 years of accident data found that road lighting reduced night time personal injury accidents on motorway and major A road links, between junctions, by about 10 per cent.
	In August 2007 the Agency published revised standards for new and replacement lighting, so that future provision as a safety measure was cost effective and sensitive to the environment, while maintaining road safety.
	The Agency is presently assessing whether road lighting, while providing road user comfort, might encourage higher speeds.

Roads: Safety

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are being taken to promote road safety on rural and remote roads.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department publishes guidance and awards grants to assist local authorities in addressing road safety issues.
	It has recently launched an £8 million demonstration project looking at rural road safety issues. Working with Devon, Lincolnshire, Northampton and Norfolk county councils, the project will demonstrate good practice for local authorities in developing and implementing area-wide data-led strategies, involving a range of education, enforcement and engineering measures, for achieving road casualty reductions in rural areas.
	The Department has also recently provided grant funding through its Partnership Grant Scheme for a number of rural projects including £205,000 to Derbyshire county council to assist with the Derbyshire Motorcycle Audit Demonstration Project, which comprises an infrastructure audit of two sections of road with high motorcyclist casualty rates. The audit findings will be incorporated into engineering, maintenance and education, training and publicity programmes, and shared with other interested parties.
	More widely the Department also continues to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding on rural roads through its Think! publicity campaigns.

Roads: Tolls

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the Financial Statement of 12 March 2008,  Official Report, column 294, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the funding of road pricing technology; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Budget 2008 announced that sufficient funding would be made available for the Demonstrations Project seeking answers to crucial questions on the practicability of charging for road use by time, distance and place. This reflects decisions made by the Secretary of State on the detailed allocation of the Department's budget for 2008-09 to 2010-11 set in the Comprehensive Spending Review published by the Treasury last year.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Older Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people over the age of 55 have been recruited by his Department in each of the last three years.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not directly recruit staff; all staff are seconded from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice, as necessary. The Office does not hold personnel records that would allow age to be determined.

Departmental Property

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many residential properties his Department owns; how many of these are vacant; and how many of these have been vacant for longer than  (a) three,  (b) six and  (c) 12 months.

David Cairns: None.

Discrimination

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many claims for discrimination, based on  (a) sex,  (b) race and  (c) sexual orientation, were brought by members of his Department and settled (i) in and (ii) out of court in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: None.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

CMPi

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies have made to CMPi in the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following table sets out the payments made by the Department and its agencies to CMPi in the last 12 months.
	
		
			   £ 
			   Payments made 1 March 2007 to 29 February 2008 
			 Communities and Local Government (central) 57,625 
			 Agencies 21,697

Community Centres: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1410W, to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on community centres: valuation, how many properties under the category of hall and premises were on the rating lists in  (a) England and  (b) each Government Office region in the most recent period for which figures are available.

John Healey: As at 30 January 2008, there were 16,267 properties described as hall and premises in the 2005 Rating Lists for England.
	
		
			  Government region  Number of  h all and premises 
			 East Midlands 1,698 
			 East of England 2,546 
			 London 938 
			 North East 577 
			 North West 1,359 
			 South East 3,558 
			 South West 2,972 
			 West Midlands 1,450 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 1,169 
			 Total 16,267

Council Housing: Property Transfer

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in how many instances and for which authorities responsibility for historic housing debt has been removed from local authorities following large-scale voluntary housing transfers to registered social landlords; for how many authorities currently engaged in large-scale voluntary transfers such responsibilities will be removed; and what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of removing responsibility for historic housing debt from all local authorities.

Iain Wright: The Department has made 76 payments to the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) for those authorities whose net capital receipt from the sale of their housing and associated assets was less that the attributable housing debt. Details of authorities we have made payments for are included in the following list.
	We expect to make a further 17 payments to the PWLB for schemes that are on the Housing Transfer Programme but where the transfer of housing has yet to be completed. Details of authorities we expect to make payments for are as follows.
	No distinction is made between current and historic housing debt. The cost of removing responsibility for assumed local authority housing debt is £17.3 billion.
	 Local authorities where overhanging debt has been paid on completion of housing transfers
	Blackburn with Darwen BC
	Burnley BC
	Calderdale MBC
	Carlisle CC
	Castle Morpeth BC
	Chester Le Street DC
	Chorley
	City of Bradford
	Copeland BC
	Coventry CC
	Derwentside DC
	Halton
	Hartlepool
	Hyndburn BC
	Kings Lynn and West Norfolk BC
	Knowsley MBC
	LB Islington (three partial transfers)
	LB Lambeth (two partial transfers)
	LB Lewisham
	LB Tower Hamlets (19 partial transfers)
	Manchester (five partial transfers)
	Middlesbrough
	North East Lincolnshire
	North Lincolnshire
	North Norfolk
	North Somerset
	Pendle BC
	Preston CC
	Purbeck
	Redcar and Cleveland BC
	Rochford DC
	Rossendale BC
	Sefton BC
	Sheffield CC (seven partial transfers)
	St. Helens MBC
	Stafford BC
	Teesdale DC
	Torridge DC
	Trafford
	Wakefield
	Walsall MBC
	Wansbeck DC
	Wellingborough BC
	Wirral
	Worcester
	 Local Authorities with housing transfer schemes that are likely to involve payment of overhanging debt
	Liverpool CC
	LB Lambeth
	Ribble Valley
	LB Lewisham (two partial schemes)
	LB Tower Hamlets (seven partial schemes)
	Berwick-upon-Tweed
	Salford
	Manchester CC (two partial schemes)
	LB Havering

Council Tax

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much council tax was written off by local authorities in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by  (a) region and  (b) local authority.

John Healey: A table has been deposited in the Library of the House giving details, by both region and local authority, of the amount of council tax written off by each billing authority in England in 2006-07. The data are reported annually by all billing authorities.

Council Tax

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many liability orders for non-payment of council tax bills were handed over to bailiffs by local authorities for collection of council tax in each of the last two years for which figures are available; and how much was successfully recovered by bailiffs, broken down by  (a) region and  (b) local authority in each year.

John Healey: Communities and Local Government does not hold this information.

Council Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) her Department's and  (b) the Valuation Office Agency's most recent estimate is of the number and proportion of domestic dwellings in England which are in incorrect council tax bands.

John Healey: Neither this Department nor the Valuation Office Agency estimate the proportion of domestic dwellings in England which are in incorrect council tax bands. Valuation Officers have a duty to maintain the valuation lists for council tax, and will always take action to correct assessments they consider to be incorrect.

Council Tax: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 613W, on council tax: valuation, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's strategy towards future revaluations referred to in the Valuation Office Agency's Council Tax Revaluation programme board minutes.

John Healey: No such document exists.

Cumbria County Council: Equal Pay

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been  (a) provided and  (b) spent providing assistance to Cumbria County Council to enable it to meet outstanding equal pay claims; and when this assistance was provided.

John Healey: holding answer 17 March 2008
	 In 2007-08, Communities and Local Government allocated £500 million of capitalisation directions to 46 local authorities, including Cumbria county council, to aid them in managing their equal pay back pay costs. The details of capitalisation used by each authority in 2007-08 will be published on the Department's website by September 2008. Details of amounts sought or directions issued have not been published in order to avoid prejudicing ongoing negotiations.
	No estimates are available of the cost of specific legal actions undertaken by individual authorities.

Cumbria County Council: Equal Pay

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of Cumbria county council's legal actions contesting the national equal pay claim;
	(2)  how much Cumbria county council has spent on legal costs in contesting equal pay claims.

John Healey: holding answer 17 March 2008
	 In 2007-08, Communities and Local Government allocated £500 million of capitalisation directions to 46 local authorities, including Cumbria county council, to aid them in managing their equal pay back pay costs. The details of capitalisation used by each authority in 2007-08 will be published on the Department's website by September 2008. Details of amounts sought or directions issued have not been published in order to avoid prejudicing ongoing negotiations.
	No estimates are available of the cost of specific legal actions undertaken by individual authorities.

Departmental Data Protection

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what data for which her Department and its agencies are responsible are  (a) stored and  (b) processed overseas.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department (including its agencies) does not store or process any data overseas.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of her Department's civil servants were  (a) suspended and  (b) dismissed for accessing (i) obscene and (ii) other prohibited material on work computers in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: No civil servant in the Department for Communities and Local Government has been suspended or dismissed for accessing obscene or any other prohibited material on work computers in each of the last five years.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 12-16WS, on departmental expenditure limits, what the cost has been of the National Register of Social Housing to date.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 151-52W.

Departmental Internet

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if her Department will  (a) follow the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) guidelines and  (b) display ICRA's label on the websites for which it is responsible.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Government are committed to safety online for all users, including children. The Central Office for Information is preparing a new set of guidance for many aspects of the Government web estate and we will look to implement this guidance when it becomes available, taking account of the needs of all users.

Departmental Manpower

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff are employed by her Department, including on the Government Office network.

Parmjit Dhanda: On 30 September 2007 the Department employed the equivalent of 2,990 full-time staff. This is the latest published figure from the Office for National Statistics. It includes Communities and Local Government staff working in the Government office network and excludes staff in the Department's Executive agencies.

Departmental Official Cars

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what make and model of car  (a) she and  (b) each Minister in her Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were applied when making the decision in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend, the hon. Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 10 March 2008,  Official Report, column 8W.

Departmental Retirement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of her Department's staff retired on the grounds of stress-related illness in each of the last three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department does not record any underlying reason for normal age retirement or voluntary early retirement. No one has been medically retired on the grounds of a stress-related illness in the past three years.
	The Department provides confidential access to counsellors for any staff with a stress-related illness. The Department has introduced a stress risk assessment tool to deal with any stress-related illness as soon as identified.

Economic and Monetary Union

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department's euro changeover plan was last updated.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Communities and Local Government's euro changeover plan was last updated in June 2007.

Eco-towns: Leicester

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many objections her Department has received by  (a) email,  (b) post and  (c) other means to the proposed Pennbury eco-town project near Leicester.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 14 March 2008
	We are aware that some promoters or other commentators have publicised particular proposals for eco-towns. In some instances this has resulted in letters and other representations being received by the Department in relation to these statements.
	We expect to publish the shortlist of schemes identified by the preliminary sift in the near future for extensive consultation with the public, wider stakeholders and local authorities.

Empty Property: Rates and Rating

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the amount of unoccupied property rate liability due to be paid by private finance initiative (PFI) contractors in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09; and what allowances have been made for these liabilities in the relevant PFI contracts.

Parmjit Dhanda: All of Communities and Local Government's PFI projects are procured and managed by local authorities. Communities and Local Government supports these projects by providing PFI credits through which a support grant is provided to help authorities meet the capital elements of PFI payments. Communities and Local Government does not have any direct responsibility for the management of local authority PFI contracts; the responsibility for this rests with the relevant local authorities.
	The information requested is not held centrally and cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.
	For a list of local authority PFI projects sponsored by CLG please refer to the HM Treasury signed deals list which can be found on the following address:
	http://www.hm-treasurv.gov.uk/media/EAF/OA/pfi_signed_projects_list_april 2007.xls

Empty Property: Rates and Rating

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the sums to be paid by her Department in unoccupied property rates in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government expect to receive approximately £335,000 in empty rates relief in respect of 2007-08 relating to properties temporarily partly unoccupied.
	No applications for rate relief have yet been identified for 2008-09.

Energy Performance Certificates: Construction

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for amendments to the RdSAP software used to prepare energy performance certificates to take account of traditional building materials.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 10 March 2008
	Possible amendments to RdSAP are currently being considered by a SAP/RdSAP working group convened by CLG. This will include whether software changes related to traditional buildings are needed.

Energy: Conservation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made towards an inter-departmental review on the energy performance of existing building stock.

Iain Wright: The Department continues to work very closely with other Departments on measures to improve energy efficiency in existing homes and, for example, submitted a joint memorandum with the Departments for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; and Innovation, Universities and Skills for the Communities and Local Government Select Committee inquiry into existing homes and climate change. The Department is currently working on an analysis of the energy performance of existing non domestic buildings which will be discussed with other Departments in the normal manner.

Greater London

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2778W, on Greater London, what receipts have been received from other building occupants in her Department's central London offices in 2007-08; and what they are expected to be in each of the next four years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The receipts received by Communities and Local Government from other building occupants, in its central London offices in 2007-08, is forecast to be approximately £8.7 million. At present the planned receipts for 2008-09 are £10.2 million.

Housing: Armed Forces

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether homes  (a) owned and  (b) rented by the Ministry of Defence are covered by the provisions of public requests to order disposal.

Parmjit Dhanda: Part 10 of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980 makes provision for the disposal of public land, including the specific public request to order disposal (PROD) power. Schedule 16 of the Act lists the specific bodies to whom Part 10 of the Act applies.
	As the Ministry of Defence is a Government Department and Government Departments are not listed in Schedule 16 of the Act, public requests to order disposal cannot be applied to any land owned by the Department.
	For a PROD to apply, the body concerned or a subsidiary of it must own a freehold or leasehold interest in the property, so any property that is rented would be excluded.

Housing: Low Incomes

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) council owned and  (b) social dwellings were sold in (i) Cornwall, (ii) the south-west and (iii) England in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Sales of social housing are from local authorities and registered social landlords. We do not have information on other public sector housing sales. The following table shows numbers of sales to tenants by local authorities and registered social landlords through right to buy and other sales. Transfers from local authorities to registered social landlords are excluded. Figures are shown for England and the south-west region from 1998-99 to 2006-07. For Cornwall, the table includes local authority sales only, as figures for registered social landlords are not available at this level.
	
		
			  Local authority (LA) and registered social landlord (RSL) sales to tenants: right to buy (RTB) and other sales 
			   1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  England  
			 LA RTB sales 40,272 54,251 52,380 51,968 63,394 69,577 49,983 26,654 16,896 
			 RSL RTB sales 4,414 7,245 7,098 8,224 10,473 14,525 8,665 6,356 4,835 
			 Total RTB sales 44,686 61,496 59,478 60,192 73,867 84,102 58,648 33,010 21,731 
			 Other LA sales — — — — — — — — 496 
			 Other RSL sales — — — 312 396 612 700 631 936 
			   
			  South  W est region  
			 LA RTB sales 3,276 3,708 3,157 2,739 3,035 2,521 1,443 818 627 
			 RSL RTB sales(1) 700 2,010 1,770 1,400 1,230 600 340 200 140 
			 Total RTB sales 3,976 5,718 4,927 4,139 4,265 3,121 1,783 1,018 767 
			 Other LA sales — — — — — — — — 8 
			 Other RSL sales(1) — — — 50 50 40 30 20 30 
			   
			  Cornwall  
			 LA RTB sales 205 308 232 219 245 187 80 27 22 
			 (1) Estimate therefore rounded.  Sources :  P1B returns from local authorities to Communities and Local Government, and Regulatory Statistical Return and other information from registered social landlords to the Housing Corporation.

Housing: Low Incomes

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether funding from the Housing Corporation's budget for affordable housing which is unspent may be carried forward to the next financial year.

Iain Wright: Final decisions on carry forward of unspent budgets are made each year, generally in the autumn, and are subject to Treasury agreement. However, the provision of new affordable housing is a priority for this Government and this will be a significant factor in any decision on carry forward.

Housing: Low Incomes

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the  (a) proportion and  (b) amount of the Housing Corporation's budget for affordable housing which will be spent by the end of 2007-08.

Iain Wright: The Housing Corporation is currently forecasting to spend its full budget of £2 billion this financial year.

Housing: Low Incomes

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to increase access to affordable housing for first-time buyers in  (a) West Lancashire constituency and  (b) nationally.

Iain Wright: In July 2007 my right hon. friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) announced an £8 billion investment programme for affordable housing in 2008-11, a £3 billion increase compared to the previous three years. As part of this programme we are committed to delivering at least 70,000 more affordable homes a year by 2010. This includes 25,000 shared ownership and shared equity homes a year funded mainly by the Housing Corporation.
	We are committed to helping more people into partial ownership on a shared equity basis. The Chancellor announced, in the Budget, that from April this year two new equity loans will be available through the Government's shared equity scheme Open Market HomeBuy (OMHB). The loans provide first time buyers with more flexibility in the percentage of the value of their home that can be borrowed—to a maximum of 50 per cent.—and more choice in the mortgage they can take out.
	In the period 2006-08, we have invested approximately £1.3 million through the Housing Corporation on affordable housing in my hon. Friend's constituency. Over the next three years we will be investing a further £526 million on affordable housing in the North West.

Housing: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the indicative targets for the number of homes to be demolished in each housing market renewal pathfinder area are for each of the next three years.

Iain Wright: Funding allocations for the Housing Market Renewal programme for 2008-11 were announced on 28 February and the HMR pathfinders are in the process of revising their business plans accordingly. As before, the programme will deliver a mix of new build, refurbishment and demolition. Latest estimates for 2008-11 are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Refurbishment  New build  Demolition 
			 Birmingham Sandwell 1,550 2,002 484 
			 East Lancashire 1,710 0 1,095 
			 Hull 1,568 584 867 
			 Manchester Salford 3,242 3,788 1,083 
			 Merseyside 9,036 2,504 1,888 
			 Newcastle Gateshead 2,360 860 760 
			 North Staffordshire 3,965 1,942 1,209 
			 Oldham Rochdale 476 1,376 508 
			 South Yorkshire 97 4,552 1,429 
			 Total 23,528 16,232 8,815 
		
	
	As these estimates demonstrate, rates of demolition will remain far lower than those for refurbishment and new build.

Housing: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the average cost of compliance with the lifetime homes standard for an individual property.

Iain Wright: In 'Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods—A National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society', launched on 25 February 2008, we estimated that "compliance with the lifetime homes standards could result in modest additional costs of around £547 per new home."

Housing: Standards

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answers to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 39W, on housing: standards, if she will publish the table with figures for local authority dwellings and housing association dwellings listed separately.

Iain Wright: The information requested is provided in the following table. The figures represent the estimated expenditure maintaining the housing stock condition including the Decent Homes standard over the last nine years.
	
		
			  £ billion 
			   Total investment  LA  RSL 
			 1997-98 1.89 1.47 0.41 
			 1998-99 2.08 1.56 0.52 
			 1999-2000 1.77 1.48 0.29 
			 2000-01 2.09 1.71 0.38 
			 2001-02 2.56 2.01 0.54 
			 2002-03 2.94 2.21 0.73 
			 2003-04 3.16 2.50 0.67 
			 2004-05 3.51 3.00 0.51 
			 2005-06 3.65 2.96 0.69 
			 Total 23.65 18.90 4.75 
			  Note: Figures may not add up due to rounding.

Housing: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department's target for 240,000 dwellings to be built annually includes a target for each region.

Iain Wright: Detailed housing targets are not directly set by government, but are set out in regional and local plans which are developed through regional and local planning processes.
	The Housing Green Paper, "Homes for the Future: more affordable, more sustainable" (CM 7191), published in July 2007, set out a target to increase housing supply to 240,000 additional homes per annum by 2016.
	The Green Paper included a commitment to early reviews of housing provision in Regional Spatial Strategies, where appropriate, completed by 2011, to reflect these plans for homes.

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2008,  Official Report, column 117W, on Ipsos MORI, what payments her Department's agencies have made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months; and for what purposes.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department's agencies have no record of any payments made to Ipsos Mori in the last 24 months.

Leisure: Facilities

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what guidance her Department issues to local authorities which opt to use a leisure trust model for the management of local leisure facilities;
	(2)  what the basis is for her Department's statement that local leisure trust-managed facilities' exemption from VAT payment benefits the local community;
	(3)  what safeguards her Department requires local authorities to put in place in circumstances where a local leisure management system is unable to continue to operate;
	(4)  whether it is mandatory for local authorities to conduct a tendering process for the management of local leisure facilities;
	(5)  which leisure trust-managed local leisure facilities have ceased to operate in England since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: Subject to their legal duties, including the duty of best value and public procurement law, local authorities are responsible for taking their own procurement decisions. Communities and Local Government have not issued guidance to local authorities which opt to use a leisure trust model for the management of local leisure facilities. However, every local authority is under a statutory duty to establish an adequate and effective system of financial management and arrangements for the management of risk. The authority's chief finance officer also has duties to report to the council on proposed decisions or actions that would be unlawful or likely to cause a loss.
	Queries about the VAT affairs of arrangements made by a leisure trust should be referred to HM Revenue and Customs. Where a chosen local leisure management system is unable to operate it would be for the local authority to make decisions about future arrangements.
	The duty of best value, as laid down in legislation, requires authorities to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which they exercise their functions, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. It is for them to decide, in the first place, whether the duty of best value can only be met by conducting a tendering exercise. Following the recent consultation exercise, current best value guidance set out in ODPM Circular 03/2003 will be replaced by the new 'Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities' guidance. The draft consultation guidance made clear that local authorities should adopt practices that are fair and open, that is, neutral between different types of providers and should ensure that any procurement decision, including retaining services in-house, is undertaken and justified in an open and transparent way. Any specific complaints that best value is not being met in a particular set of circumstances would need to be addressed in the first instance to the authority's external auditor.
	Information on which leisure trust-managed local leisure facilities have ceased to operate in England since 1997 is not held centrally.

Leisure: Facilities

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to require all new local authority leisure centre contracts to be subject to external tender.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 11 March 2008
	Subject to their legal duties, including the duty of best value and public procurement law, local authorities are responsible for taking their own procurement decisions. Communities and Local Government have not issued guidance to local authorities which opt to use a leisure trust model for the management of local leisure facilities. However, every local authority is under a statutory duty to establish an adequate and effective system of financial management and arrangements for the management of risk. The authority's chief finance officer also has duties to report to the council on proposed decisions or actions that would be unlawful or likely to cause a loss.
	Queries about the VAT affairs of arrangements made by a leisure trust should be referred to HM Revenue and Customs. Where a chosen local leisure management system is unable to operate it would be for the local authority to make decisions about future arrangements.
	The duty of best value, as laid down in legislation, requires authorities to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which they exercise their functions, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. It is for them to decide, in the first place, whether the duty of best value can only be met by conducting a tendering exercise. Following the recent consultation exercise, current best value guidance set out in ODPM Circular 03/2003 will be replaced by the new 'Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities' guidance. The draft consultation guidance made clear that local authorities should adopt practices that are fair and open, that is, neutral between different types of providers and should ensure that any procurement decision, including retaining services in-house, is undertaken and justified in an open and transparent way. Any specific complaints that best value is not being met in a particular set of circumstances would need to be addressed in the first instance to the authority's external auditor.
	Information on which leisure trust-managed local leisure facilities have ceased to operate in England since 1997 is not held centrally.

Local Authorities: Regional Planning and Development

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what her Department's policy is on local authorities which set building targets in their local development frameworks which differ from those in a regional spatial strategy;
	(2)  in what respects the new regional spatial strategies are binding on local planning authorities.

Parmjit Dhanda: The regional spatial strategy provides a spatial framework that informs Development Plan Documents, which must be in general conformity with the regional spatial strategy.
	Development Plan Documents are tested for general conformity with the regional spatial strategy as part the examination of their soundness. If a Local Development Document is found to be unsound it cannot be adopted.

Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding her Department will allocate to local authorities under the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive scheme in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

John Healey: To allow us to take a detailed look at the lessons learnt from the original scheme, and to consult widely and introduce the best possible outcomes from a reformed scheme, the Government plan to introduce a reformed Local Authority Business Growth Incentives (LABGI) scheme from 2009-10, with resources of £50 million doubling to £100 million in its second year, as the scheme becomes incorporated into the mainstream system of funding.
	Just under £400 million remains to be allocated under the original three-year LABGI scheme. An announcement about the allocation of this funding will be made shortly.

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what datasets are used in the calculation of the allocation of formula grant to local authorities.

John Healey: Annex D of the Local Government Finance Report (England) 2008-09 (HC 262) contains the description of each of the indicators used in the calculation of the allocation of formula grant.
	More detailed definitions are available as supporting material on the Local Government Finance website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/0809/grant.htm#set

Local Government Finance: Newcastle-Under-Lyme

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will initiate an investigation into the misallocation of local authority business growth incentive funds to Newcastle-under-Lyme and report the results to Parliament.

John Healey: The circumstances which led to the overpayment of Local Authority Business Growth Incentives scheme funding to Newcastle-under-Lyme borough council have already been reviewed. The error was identified by officials in the course of checking the underlying calculations. It came about as a result of mis-transposition of data relating to Newcastle-under-Lyme borough council and Newcastle city council. We are taking steps to minimise the risk of similar errors being made in the future.

Local Government Finance: Planning

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of housing and planning delivery grant will be allocated towards a local authority planning department's costs.

Iain Wright: The Government published draft allocation criteria for the housing and planning delivery grant (HPDG) for consultation in October 2007, which closed on 17 January. We will set out final allocation criteria in due course taking account of the views expressed in the consultation. HPDG amounts to £510 million over three years. As set out in the consultation, HPDG allocations will be unringfenced, so local authorities in receipt of the grant will themselves be able to decide how best to use their allocations, according to local priorities.

Local Government: Public Participation

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps her Department is taking to encourage local authorities to allow the public to  (a) present petitions and  (b) speak at sessions of full council meetings;
	(2)  whether she has had recent discussions on steps to encourage public participation in full local authority council meetings.

Parmjit Dhanda: On 27 December 2007 Communities and Local Government published the 'Local Petitions and Calls for Action Consultation', which seeks views on a proposed duty on local authorities to respond to local petitions. The consultation will close on 20 March.
	Encouraging public participation in local authority full council meetings is not current Government policy, and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has not had any recent discussions on this matter.

Maps: EC Law

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what new responsibilities implementation of EU Directive 2007/2/EC (INSPIRE) will place upon  (a) her Department,  (b) local authorities and  (c) Ordnance Survey.

Iain Wright: Responsibilities will depend on the specific, yet to be agreed, requirements of the INSPIRE directive and their transposition into UK legislation. However, we do not anticipate any new responsibilities for  (a) the Department,  (b) local authorities or  (c) Ordnance Survey.

New Local Government Network

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answers to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 47W, on New Local Government Network, if she will  (a) list the value and purpose of each of the 10 payments and  (b) the research which the department commissioned.

John Healey: The information is as follows.
	
		
			   Purpose  £ 
			 7 August 2002 Conference attendance fees 514.90 
			 2 May 2003 Conference attendance fees 587.50 
			 8 August 2003 One of four payments for research project into making choices in the use of public services 5,875.00 
			 9 January 2004 One of four payments for research project into making choices in the use of public services 5,875.00 
			 20 January 2004 Conference attendance fees 47.00 
			 13 February 2004 One of four payments for research project into making choices in the use of public services 5,875.00 
			 8 March 2004 One of four payments for research project into making choices in the use of public services 5,875.00 
			 25 April 2006 Local Government White Paper consultation event on Neighbourhoods and Democracy 8,267.00 
			 20 March 2007 Purchase of published Regions Report 216.00 
			 1 November 2007 Purchase of published report into Councils Embracing Localism 20.00

Non-Domestic Rates: Tax Rates and Bands

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the revenue foregone from national non-domestic rates in the last three financial years from  (a) small business rate,  (b) empty property,  (c) charity and non-profit-making,  (d) rural business and  (e) severe hardship rate relief.

John Healey: Details of the level of relief granted from national non-domestic rates in England in the last three financial years for 2004-05 to 2006-07 were published in the statistical release of 26 September 2007 and are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/data/cp067.htm

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1154W, on non-domestic rates: valuation, what geographical, spatial or geo-demographic indicators or datasets the agency is using to assist its analysis of the role of location in the proposed automated valuation model.

John Healey: On the assumption that the "agency" referred to in the hon. Member's question is the Valuation Office Agency I can confirm that the geographical, spatial and geo-demographic indicators or datasets in use to assist its analysis of the role of location are:
	1. Property address including postcode
	2. Sublocation.

Ordnance Survey

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she had with other Government Departments on Ordnance Survey's new Public Task before approving it.

Iain Wright: Shareholder Executive conducted discussions with senior officials in Ordnance Survey and Communities and Local Government before submitting the Public Task document to Ministers. Ministers approved the Public Task document in July 2007.

Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's policy is on whether use of a property as a second home should require planning permission.

Iain Wright: The planning system is concerned with the use of land, and decisions on planning applications can be made only on the basis of land-use planning considerations. Whether a person purchasing a property already has a main residence elsewhere is not a land-use planning consideration. To take into account factors and information that had no relevance to a decision on a planning matter would be ultra vires.

Planning Permission: Greater London

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers the Mayor of London has in relation to the negotiation of section 106 agreements for planning applications in London; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Mayor has no powers in relation to the negotiation of section 106 agreements for planning applications determined by London boroughs acting as local planning authorities. In future, under powers in the Greater London Authority Act 2007 which come into force on 6 April 2008, the Mayor will have power to determine certain strategically important planning applications in place of the local planning authority and, as a consequence, the Act grants the Mayor power to agree any section 106 agreements related to those applications.

Referendums

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will encourage the use of referendums to promote community engagement in the forthcoming White Paper.

Parmjit Dhanda: The forthcoming Empowerment White Paper will explore a range of ways to unlock talent in local communities and give people a real say on improving local services and promoting active citizenship. More specific details will be set out in the final version, scheduled for publication in the summer.

Regional Government: Brussels

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1344W, on regional government: Brussels, what guidance has been given to the European regional offices on whether they are public authorities for the purposes of  (a) the Environmental Information Regulations and  (b) the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Parmjit Dhanda: The offices in Brussels are facilities used by the regional assemblies and their partners. They are not separate organisations for the purposes of either the Environmental Information Regulations or the Freedom of Information Act, so no guidance is necessary.

Regional Planning and Development: East Midlands

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answers to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1168-69W, and of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 51W, on Regional Planning and Development: East Midlands, if she will place in the Library a copy of each formal submission on each regional spatial strategy made by Labour hon. Members.

Parmjit Dhanda: Formal submissions made by individuals and bodies on the draft RSSs are in the public domain and can be viewed via accessing the websites for each of the English regions in the following list.
	 North East
	http://www.gos.gov.uk/gone/ourregion/regional_strategies/
	 North West
	http://www.gos.gov.uk/gonw/Planning/RegionalPlanning/
	 Yorkshire and Humber
	http://www.yhassembly.gov.uk/News/2007/Assembly%20welcomes%20publication%20of%20RSS%20 panel%20report/
	 East Midlands
	http://www.gos.gov.uk/goem/psc/suscom/rss/eastmidlandsplan/
	 West Midlands
	http://www.wmra.gov.uk/page.asp?id=47
	 East of England
	http://www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=l20
	 South East
	http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/southeastplan/plan/view_plan.html
	 South West
	http://www.southwest-ra.gov.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=836

Regional Resilience Forums: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the budget of each regional resilience forum is for the financial year 2007-08.

Parmjit Dhanda: Regional resilience forums do not have a dedicated budget. The forum is a process by which the organisations with an interest in regional civil protection issues co-operate with each other. It is not a statutory body as such, nor does it have powers to direct its members.

Squatting

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to  (a) police and  (b) local authorities on managing squatters in the last three years.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government has not issued any guidance to the police and/or local authorities on the specific issue of managing squatters, in this period.

Temporary Accommodation: Eastbourne

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many families in Eastbourne constituency were  (a) on temporary housing waiting lists and  (b) placed in temporary housing in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Housing waiting lists (housing registers) are for permanent, social housing. The numbers recorded on the housing register in Eastbourne were as follows:
	
		
			  As at 1 April each year( 1)  Households  Requiring 3 or 3+ bedrooms( 2) 
			 2001 2,596 495 
			 2002 2,041 406 
			 2003 2,806 493 
			 2004 3,000 1,083 
			 2005 3,354 543 
			 2006 4,481 688 
			 2007 5,225 1,269 
			 (1) Data prior to 2001 not readily available. (2) Households registering state number of bedrooms required, from 1-2, 3, or 3+.  Source: CLG HSSA and HIP annual returns from local authorities. 
		
	
	Local authorities place some homeless households in temporary accommodation while permanent housing solutions can be found. The number of people being accepted as owed the main homelessness duty has fallen significantly in recent years, with fewer households going into temporary accommodation.
	In Eastbourne, the number of households in temporary accommodation were as follows:
	
		
			  As at 1 April each year( 1)  Households  Families with children( 2)  Percentage of families( 2) 
			 1999 307 — — 
			 2000 327 — — 
			 2001 392 — — 
			 2002 365 — — 
			 2003 274 — — 
			 2004 246 205 83 
			 2005 137 54 39 
			 2006 145 67 46 
			 2007 136 76 56 
			 (1) Data prior to 1999 not readily available. (2) Data prior to 2004 not readily available.  Source: CLG P1E quarterly returns from local authorities. 
		
	
	All local authorities have been set a target of reducing the number of households in temporary accommodation by 50 per cent. by 2010. This is from a baseline of numbers at end December 2004. Eastbourne was set a target of 143 households, and that target has been achieved in four separate quarters over the last three years, though not sustained. At the last reported quarter (end of September 2007) Eastbourne was just above the target at 145 households.

Terrorism: Crime Prevention

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable for the publication of the counter-terrorism supplement on planning is; and what plans there are for a consultation to be held on the document.

Iain Wright: The Government intend to publish during the summer of 2008 the counter-terrorism supplement which will accompany planning policy guidance "Safer Places". In drafting this supplement the Home Office will be consulting with key stakeholders both within Government, with industry and with professional bodies involved in planning and design.

Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the sum of financial contributions made under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 by developers which remains unspent.

Iain Wright: The Government have not made an estimate of contributions yet to be spent by local planning authorities. Authorities entering into planning obligations are responsible for their implementation and enforcement to ensure that developer contributions are spent on their intended purpose.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to which wind farm proposals her Department has lodged objection in each of the last three years; and for what reasons in each case.

Iain Wright: No such objections have been lodged.

Working Neighbourhood Fund: Grants

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date her Department informed local authorities of the most recent Working Neighbourhood Fund Grant allocations.

John Healey: I confirmed allocations of Working Neighbourhood Fund allocations on 5 February 2008.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Actinide and Alpha Emitting Research Facilities

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what work has been undertaken at Harwell to upgrade the actinide and alpha emitting research facilities since 1990.

Malcolm Wicks: There are no facilities at UKAEA Harwell that currently perform research on alpha emitting or actinide radioactive materials. The B220 Radiochemistry Laboratory housed research of this type in the past; however, that facility is undergoing decommissioning.
	During the 1990s B220 was upgraded to modern standards in anticipation of receiving a licence from NII. Those upgrades included modifications to the ventilation system, electrical system, fire protection system, and radiological alarm system. In the mid-1990s a suite of shielded cells was commissioned for work on highly radioactive materials. Laboratory modifications were also made to support metallurgical analyses. These facilities are now abandoned and undergoing decommissioning.
	The decommissioning process began in 1993 and has resulted in the removal of redundant glove box facilities, laboratory areas, and pressurised suit facilities. Packaging of radium contaminated wastes is proceeding in an area of the facility which contains shielded cells as a part of the Harwell site decommissioning activities.

British Coal: Assets

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform who owns the former British Coal's assets, with particular reference to the land and buildings of the former Miners' Welfare Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Ownership of the land and buildings associated with miners' welfare trusts transferred to the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO) on 27 February 1998.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received in respect of the proposed Kingsnorth coal fired power station  (a) in favour of the proposal and  (b) against the proposal.

Malcolm Wicks: A large number of representations have been received and they will all be taken into account in the Secretary of State's decision.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Robert Marshall-Andrews: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the exchange of e-mail correspondence between his Department and the company E.on of 12 and 16 January, whether the consent conditions relating to carbon capture and storage at the proposed coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth, Kent  (a) have been or  (b) are planned to be (i) removed or (ii) varied; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 14 March 2008
	I cannot comment on the outcome of the Secretary of State's decision on an active application. As you will be aware Medway council have not objected to the application subject to the inclusion of certain conditions in any planning permission the Secretary of State may deem to be granted. The Department is currently consulting on a set of draft planning conditions which would control the proposed development, mitigate its impacts and take into account the comments received from Medway council and others including for example, the Environment Agency and Natural England.
	The Department is still considering what conditions might be applied to the section 36 consent itself should the Secretary of State decide to grant consent under that section of the Electricity Act 1989.

Departmental Manpower

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the full-time equivalent headcount in his Department is; what the forecast full-time equivalent headcount for his Department is for  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The full-time equivalent headcount for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (excludes Office and Manpower Economics and UK Trade and Industry), as of October 2007, is 2,539. A forecast figure for future years is not available but it is expected that a 5 per cent. settlement will probably mean reductions but these will be kept to a minimum.

Departmental Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which of his Department's  (a) agencies and  (b) non-departmental public bodies operate telephone contact centres.

Gareth Thomas: The Department's central records do not contain the information to answer this question. Therefore, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform could answer this question only at disproportionate cost.

Exhibitions: Electronic Equipment

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will provide public funding to assist the holding of an electronic production exhibition in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: A privately organised "National Electronics Week" exhibition is being held at Earls Court on 17-19 June 2008. This event is being supported by the Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network, which is funded by the Technology Strategy Board, and by the UK Electronics Alliance, which was set up following a recommendation in the DTI-led Electronics Innovation and Growth Team Report.

Fireworks: Regulation

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the provisions of the Fireworks Act 2003; and whether he plans to introduce further restrictions on over-the-counter sale of fireworks.

Gareth Thomas: h olding answer 15 January 2008
	I expect the Act and Fireworks Regulations 2004 to be covered within the review of Consumer Safety legislation next year.
	I have no plans to introduce further restrictions on over-the-counter sales.

Fireworks: Regulation

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  whether the Government plan to restrict further the sale of fireworks; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if the Government will  (a) consider a public ban on fireworks within the category 3 noise limit and  (b) take steps to further reduce the decibel limit of category 3.

Gareth Thomas: I expect the Firework Act and Regulations (2004) to be covered within the review of consumer safety legislation next year.
	I have no further plans to put further restrictions on over-the-counter sales.

Foreign Companies: Internet

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what restrictions there are on the use of internet domain names to prevent overseas businesses from describing themselves as UK companies.

Malcolm Wicks: The responsibility for registration of .co.uk domain names rests with Nominet, a private, not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee. There are no restrictions which prevent overseas businesses from using a domain name ending in .co.uk, as Nominet offer an open system for registration for .co.uk domains. Some 92 per cent. of registrants have an address in the UK. The company seeks to ensure that contact details for registrants, which might be required in any dispute about the use of a .co.uk domain, are accurate, rather than trying to restrict their use to UK companies.

Heating: EU Law

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that UK manufacturers of heating controls are not financially disadvantaged as a result of the implementation of the Energy-using Products Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: The European Commission is bringing forward a wide range of measures under this directive, including one for heating and hot water systems that includes consideration of how control systems can be used to improve the energy efficiency of those appliances. As a single market directive, any measures made under the EuP framework will apply to all member states, ensuring free movement of compliant goods across the Community. Officials have consulted a wide range of stakeholders in the sector throughout the process, including through a specific UK stakeholder event that DEFRA and my Department organised for the sector in February. Officials have engaged with interested stakeholders in developing our negotiating position to ensure that it best maintains the interests of the UK industry.

Heating: Sustainable Development

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government plans to take to maintain the competitiveness of UK manufacturers of heating controls in implementing the Energy Using Products Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: The European Commission is bringing forward a wide range of measures under this framework directive, including one for heating and hot water systems that includes consideration of how control systems can be used to improve the energy efficiency of those appliances. My officials and their colleagues in DEFRA are working closely together on the Commission's proposal and have been consulting the UK industry and other stakeholders in order that we can develop a negotiating position that best maintains the competitiveness of the sector. As a single market directive, any measures finally adopted under the EuP framework will apply equally to all member states, ensuring the free movement of UK goods across the Community.

Industrial Training: Older Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) grants and  (b) training schemes are available through his Department for people (i) over 55-years-old and (ii) in retirement to learn new job skills.

Gareth Thomas: The Department does not provide grants or training schemes for people over 55-years-old and in retirement.

Industry: Electronic Equipment

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of trends in the levels of production by the UK electronics industry between 1995 and 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: The following table contains the requested information up to 2006, the latest year for which these statistics are currently available.
	
		
			  £ billion 
			   Total turnover excluding VAT  Approximate gross value added (GVA) 
			 1995 28.7 8.8 
			 1996 31.8 8.8 
			 1997 35.9 9.8 
			 1998 34.2 9.4 
			 1999 34.1 8.3 
			 2000 35.6 9.2 
			 2001 33.6 8.1 
			 2002 28.3 8.3 
			 2003 23.3 7.8 
			 2004 20.8 7.5 
			 2005 19.7 7.4 
			 2006 18.0 7.0 
		
	
	These statistics are taken from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) 2007, using SIC codes 30, 32.1, 32.3, 33.2, 33.3 and 33.402. These are the most relevant SIC codes, but the disparate nature of the electronics sector means that they can only provide an approximation of turnover and GVA for the electronics sector.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas: Heating

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) pensioners and  (b) non-pensioners using liquid petroleum gas or fuel heating oil to heat their home in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of those people living in fuel poverty in each of those years.

Malcolm Wicks: The data requested is not available. In the fuel poverty detailed tables, available online at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file42705.pdf.
	figures are broken down by household composition of the primary benefit unit (which includes a split for households with primary benefit unit aged over or below 60) and separately by the presence of central heating by main fuel. The main fuel categories are gas, electricity, communal, solid fuel and oil (which includes fuel oil and liquid petroleum gas). These figures show both the number of households in each specified category and the number that are fuel poor. However, a split is not available by household composition of the primary benefit unit and the presence of central heating by main fuel. If this cross tabulation were to be computed, sample sizes would be too small for accurate results to be drawn.

Natural Gas

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many communities of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants have been connected to mains gas using his Department's design and demonstration unit model.

Malcolm Wicks: Twenty-one projects, which will provide mains to gas to 5,800 homes, have been delivered using the Design and Demonstration Unit model and with the direct involvement of the Unit. Further projects using the model are being delivered by Community Energy Solutions, a community interest company co-funded by the local Regional Development Agencies and my Department to undertake demonstration programmes in North-East England and Yorkshire and Humberside. Of these further projects, eight projects connecting 1,500 households have been completed or are in train, and more will be undertaken over the coming year. The model can also be used by organisations with no connection to BERR.

Nirex: Finance

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the research budget was for Nirex in each year since it was established.

Malcolm Wicks: NIREX (Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive) was established in 1982 as an executive arm of the nuclear industry. It became a private company—UK Nirex Limited (Nirex)—in 1985. The following figures show the total expenditure by Nirex for the last 21 financial years. Separate figures for research are not available; nor are figures relating to the period before 1986. The figures are based on a combination of audited accounts and internal management figures.
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure (£m) 
			 2006-07 14.5 
			 2005-06 12.4 
			 2004-05 12.1 
			 2003-04 11.6 
			 2002-03 12.5 
			 2001-02 10.4 
			 2000-01 11.7 
			 1999-2000 13.1 
			 1998-99 10.9 
			 1997-98 25.0 
			 1996-97 59.8 
			 1995-96 54.6 
			 1994-95 71.1 
			 1993-94 80.5 
			 1992-93 67.7 
			 1991-92 53.3 
			 1990-91 38.1 
			 1989-90 16.5 
			 1988-89 12.1 
			 1987-88 8.5 
			 1986-87 2.6 
			 Total 598.82 
			  Note:  All figures have been rounded up. 
		
	
	UK Nirex Limited (Nirex) was merged into the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and ceased trading on 31 March 2007.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Assets

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what value is assigned to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's stock of  (a) plutonium,  (b) reprocessed uranium and  (c) depleted uranium from enrichment.

Malcolm Wicks: The stocks of plutonium, reprocessed uranium and depleted uranium owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's (NDA) are currently treated as zero value rated assets.
	In June 2007 the NDA published a report, "Uranium and Plutonium: Macro-economic study", which provided an economic analysis of potential future disposition options for the UK's stocks of nuclear materials. This is available on the NDA website at:
	www.nda.gov.uk.

Office for Civil Nuclear Security: Manpower

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Office for Civil Nuclear Security is fully staffed.

Malcolm Wicks: The Office for Civil Nuclear Security has a complement of 31.5 full time equivalent posts. All but two of these are currently filled. A recruitment exercise began on 6 March 2008 to fill the two vacancies.

Overseas Trade: Cyprus and Bermuda

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has  (a) taken and  (b) plans to take to increase trade between the United Kingdom and (i) Cyprus and (ii) Bermuda; how much his Department spent on trade promotion between the United Kingdom and (A) Cyprus and (B) Bermuda in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment provides a range of support to help UK companies do business in Cyprus. Support is offered to companies individually under different programmes, and country specific statistics on spend are not kept.
	The Department has no current or future plans to increase trade between the UK and Bermuda.

Overseas Trade: Cyprus and Bermuda

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many officials in his Department and its predecessor work on the promotion of trade between the United Kingdom and  (a) Cyprus and  (b) Bermuda; and what the equivalent figures were in (i) 1983, (ii) 1987 and (iii) each year between 1998 and 2005.

Gareth Thomas: Help and advice for companies wishing to trade in Cyprus is delivered by officials responsible for programmes of support which are applicable across Europe and more widely. There has been no resource in BERR or its predecessor Department in the recent past devoted specifically to the promotion of trade between the United Kingdom and Cyprus.
	There is no support for companies wishing to do business in Bermuda and no officials in BERR or its predecessor Department are, or have been, engaged on promoting trade between the United Kingdom and Bermuda.

Press: Advertising

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward proposals to require the publishers of newspapers and magazines to ensure that companies whose services are referred to in publications by way of  (a) advertisement and  (b) editorial copy are able to fulfil any legal obligations with regard to the protection of money deposited with them by their clients.

Malcolm Wicks: The advertiser, or their agent, is primarily responsible for ensuring that marketing communication is legal. A requirement for newspapers and magazines, or other media to act as enforcement agencies in respect of regulation of this sort on those advertising their services would be disproportionate as it would require publishers to be aware of any legal obligations in respect of deposited money for any services that might be advertised, to screen all adverts for the nature of the businesses undertaken by firms placing adverts with them and then to ascertain the ability of the company to meet those obligations. Consequently the Government have no plans to bring forward proposals of this sort.

Renewable Energy

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether his Department is on course to meet the target to  (a) source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31 March 2008 and  (b) increase recycling figures to 40 per cent. of waste by 2010.

Gareth Thomas: The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) The Department has purchased electricity from renewable sources since 1999. All HQ buildings are supplied with green electricity where the Department is responsible for the purchase of electricity supply which compares favourably to the Sustainable Development target for energy target which is to buy 10 per cent. by 2008.
	 (b) BERR has implemented various initiatives for meeting the Sustainable Development target for waste and recycling. The percentage of total waste arisings from the HQ estate sent for recycling was 55.1 per cent. against a target of 40 per cent. by 2010.

Renewable Energy

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the potential electricity generating capacity of  (a) wind power,  (b) solar photovoltaics and  (c) geothermal technologies in the UK; and if he will make statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department assessed the potential for offshore wind power in Future Offshore—a Strategic Framework for the Offshore Wind Industry. The potential wind resource around England, Wales and Scotland—assuming the installation of three-megawatt turbines at a separation distance of 500 metres and with a load factor of 40 per cent.—is 919 gigawatts.
	A number of external studies have estimated the potential onshore wind resource. However, Government have not made a formal estimate of the possible electricity generation capacity from this source as we believe that it should be for the market to identify potential sites and bring forward appropriate projects that are economic, with support from the renewables obligation.
	We commissioned a study on the potential for microgeneration completed in 2005. Further information on this can be found at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file27558.pdf
	We have recently commissioned research which is due to be completed by spring 2008 which will quantify the future potential of microgeneration of wind power, solar photovoltaics and geothermal (by geothermal we assume you are referring to ground source heat pumps).
	We will be considering the available evidence and commissioning further work as necessary as part of developing the renewable energy strategy.

Renewable Energy: Standards

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 708-9W, on renewable energy: standards, what modelling his Department has conducted on how the UK can meet its share of the EU target of 20 per cent. of energy from renewables by 2020; if he will publish the results; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: In response to the European proposal for a directive on the promotion and use of energy from renewable sources, the Government have recently published research undertaken by Poyry Energy Consultants for BERR (
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/strategy/page43356.html).
	This research models renewable technologies in 2020, and presents the least cost technology approach to meeting the renewable energy target set out in the Directive.
	Agreement has not yet been reached on the contribution that each member state will make toward the 20 per cent. target, but we will consult in the summer on what more we should do to increase renewable energy use to meet the UK's contribution. We will publish our full renewable energy strategy in spring 2009 once the EU directive has been agreed.

Renewable Energy: Standards

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 708-9W, on renewable energy: standards, what work his Department has conducted on the  (a) cost and  (b) policy consequences of meeting the UK's likely share of the EU target of 20 per cent. of energy from renewables by 2020; if he will publish this work; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: In response to the European proposal for a directive on the promotion and use of energy from renewable sources, the Government have recently published research undertaken by Poyry Energy Consultants for BERR
	(http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/strategy/page43356.html).
	This research models renewable technologies in 2020, and presents the least cost technology approach to meeting the renewable energy target set out in the Directive.
	Agreement has not yet been reached on the contribution that each member state will make toward the 20 per cent. target, but we will consult in the summer on what more we should do to increase renewable energy use to meet the UK's contribution. We will publish our full renewable energy strategy in spring 2009 once the EU Directive has been agreed.

Sellafield: Plutonium

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many shipments of plutonium have been made from Sellafield to France in 2008; which transporter vessels were used; what security protection was in place for each carrier; and what notification of plutonium movements was given to foreign governments.

Malcolm Wicks: There have been no such shipments.

Small Businesses

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small companies registered in each region in each year since 1999; and how many have registered in 2007-08 to date.

Malcolm Wicks: VAT registration data provides the only accurate indicator of the level of business start-up activity.
	The number of new VAT registrations in each region and country are shown below for 1999 to 2006. Data for VAT registrations and de-registrations in 2007 will be available autumn 2008.
	Only data for businesses of all sizes registered for VAT is published by BERR. However, it is estimated that the majority (97.9 per cent.) of these will be small (with fewer than 50 employees) and 1.7 per cent. will be medium-sized (with 50-249 employees). It is not possible to establish the proportion of these businesses that will be companies, rather than other legal forms.
	
		
			  Table 1: New VAT registrations by region, 1999 to 2006 
			   1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 North East 4,185 4,275 4,180 4,390 4,900 4,460 4,665 4,630 
			 North West 16,875 17,155 16,485 17,385 19,005 18,080 17,940 17,920 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 11,740 12,005 11,665 12,440 13,840 13,060 12,935 12,900 
			 East Midlands 11,185 11,615 11,250 11,970 12,835 12,385 12,240 12,320 
			 West Midlands 14,445 14,595 14,120 14,600 15,810 15,160 14,785 14,800 
			 East 16,845 17,630 16,655 17,820 18,735 17,815 17,955 17,495 
			 London 36,210 36,330 33,400 32,955 35,750 35,320 34,875 34,825 
			 South East 28,820 28,830 27,250 28,655 30,755 28,795 28,380 28,680 
			 South West 15,330 15,380 14,455 15,555 16,625 15,495 15,220 15,745 
			 England 155,630 157,815 149,460 155,770 168,250 160,565 158,995 159,315 
			 Wales 6,120 6,290 6,025 6,430 7,145 7,040 6,625 6,625 
			 Scotland 11,505 11,345 10,980 11,130 11,980 11,980 11,665 11,825 
			 Northern Ireland 3,660 3,455 3,550 3,590 3,845 4,200 4,450 4,445 
			 UK 176,915 178,905 170,015 176,920 191,220 183,780 181,735 182,205 
			  Source:  Business start-ups and closures: VAT registrations and de-registrations in 2006 available at: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/vat/index.htm 
		
	
	Although the number of new registrations in each region has fluctuated between 1999 and 2006 (see Table 1), the total number of VAT registered businesses has increased in all regions over the period (see Table 2). Overall, the stock of VAT registered businesses in the UK has increased by 246 thousand (14 per cent.) between the start of 1999 and the start of 2007 and new registrations have exceeded de-registrations in each year.
	VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was £60,000 at the start of 2006. Only 1.9 million out of 4.5 million UK enterprises (43 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2006.
	
		
			  Table 2: Stock of VAT-registered businesses by region, start of 1999—start of 2007 
			   1999  2007  Change 1999-2007  % Change 1999-2007 
			 North East 43,170 49,435 6,265 15 
			 North West 163,580 186,045 22,465 14 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 123,810 139,970 16,160 13 
			 East Midlands 115,525 134,195 18,670 16 
			 West Midlands 143,520 164,810 21,290 15 
			 East 171,325 196,480 25,155 15 
			 London 262,280 309,225 46,945 18 
			 South East 265,235 306,920 41,685 16 
			 South West 161,545 183,420 21,875 14 
			 England 1,449,995 1,670,500 220,505 15 
			 Wales 78,280 84,995 6,715 9 
			 Scotland 125,030 136,890 11,860 9 
			 Northern Ireland 57,335 64,365 7,030 12 
			 UK 1,710,645 1,956,750 246,105 14 
			  Source:  Business start-ups and closures: VAT registrations and de-registrations in 2006 available at: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/vat/index.htm

Solar Power: Heating

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the potential thermal capacity of solar heating technology in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not hold the information centrally in the format requested. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what information his Department monitors and collects in relation to telephone contact centres.

Gareth Thomas: The information required to answer this question could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.

Toys and Games: Safety

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with  (a) the Council of Ministers and  (b) the European Commission on proposed changes to regulations governing toy safety.

Gareth Thomas: BERR has been actively involved in discussions with European colleagues and the Commission in the preparation of the draft Directive on the Safety of Toys which was published on 25 January. They will continue to engage with the development of the directive in Council working groups.

UK Trade and Investment: Expenditure

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of UK Trade and Investment's budget is spent on  (a) promoting exports and  (b) encouraging inward investment.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment has three budget streams: UKTI programme, which is voted directly to the UKTI Chief Executive as Accounting Officer, and devolved administration budgets from both of its parent departments—Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	The percentage of UKTI's total budget spent on  (a) promoting exports is approximately 70 per cent. and  (b) encouraging inward investment is approximately 30 per cent.

HEALTH

National Stroke Strategy

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made on the implementation of the national stroke strategy.

Alan Johnson: I launched the new strategy for stroke services in England in December last year. We expect PCTs to begin work in earnest to implement the stroke strategy from April of this year, and this has been reflected in their allocations. But we know that many parts of the service already have plans underway.

Children's Health

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve children's health and well-being; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Improving outcomes for children is a priority across the range of responsibilities of the Government. The recently published Children's Plan set out how the work is focused towards achieving a long term vision. With colleagues in DCSF, we have established a dedicated public service agreement to focus improvements and investment in child health and wellbeing, and are working on the development of a child health strategy.

National Service Framework: Long-term Conditions

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on implementation of the targets for the National Service Framework for Long-Term Conditions.

Ivan Lewis: The National Service Framework (NSF) for Long-term Conditions contains quality requirements, describing the level of service local health and social care economies are expected to achieve. The NSF has a 10-year implementation programme, with flexibility for organisations to take account of local priorities.

NHS Dentistry

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of levels of access to NHS dentistry.

Ben Bradshaw: Recent data show that 27.6 million people saw an NHS dentist at least once in the 24 months ending September 2007.
	We are committed to increasing access to NHS dentistry, and have made this a requirement for PCTs in the NHS Operating Framework. We are increasing dental funding by 11 per cent.

General Practitioners: Extended Opening Hours

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on his plans to extend opening hours of general practitioners surgeries; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: I am pleased that the British Medical Association has agreed new arrangements for GP practices to be open in the evenings and at weekends. These new arrangements will benefit patients, the NHS and GPs.

Hospital Construction: Pembury

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for building the new private finance initiative hospital in Pembury; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: We have given final approval for the scheme to reach financial close today. I expect the formal contract for the new £226 million hospital at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust to be signed shortly. Construction of the new facilities is due to begin in late March, and the first patients are scheduled to be admitted in early 2011. The project should be completed by autumn 2012.

Prescription Drugs: Importation

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to monitor the importation of prescription drugs purchased overseas.

Dawn Primarolo: I am aware of the issue the hon. Gentleman raises. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is monitoring all prescription medicines offered for direct sale on the internet and is working closely with HM Revenue and Customs and international authorities.

General Practitioner Contract

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the outcome of negotiations on the general practitioner contract.

Ben Bradshaw: We welcome general practitioners' (GP) support to the proposed agreement on the GP contract. This will provide practices with the opportunity to deliver more convenient surgery opening hours for their patients and to be rewarded for doing so. We will work with the British Medical Association to continue to put patients at the centre of improving the quality of care.

Dietary Salt Intake

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will commission research on the health effect of dietary salt intake.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2003 the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recommended that a reduction from nine grammes to six grammes in average population salt intake would proportionally lower blood pressure levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
	At present, we do not intend to commission further research on the health effect of dietary salt intake.

Polyclinics: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the appropriate number of polyclinics for Bassetlaw.

Ben Bradshaw: Bassetlaw Primary Care Trust (PCT) is responsible for determining and commissioning the appropriate range of services to meet local health need. Like every PCT in England, Bassetlaw will receive additional investment to procure new general practitioner-led health centre provision. The model to deliver this new service is a local matter.

Seroxat

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the use of data from clinical trials of the drug Seroxat.

Dawn Primarolo: As per the written ministerial statement of 6 March 2008,  Official Report, column 121WS, I informed the House of the outcome of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency investigation into Glaxosmithkline withholding relevant information gathered in clinical trials on seroxat. In the interests of public health it is important that all relevant data gathered in clinical trials of medicines are submitted promptly to the regulator.

NHS Trusts: Clinical Staff

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to NHS trusts on the management of suspension of clinical staff.

Ben Bradshaw: National health service rules make clear that patient safety and the quality of care are paramount. Staff should expect fair treatment in accordance with employment rules and their contract. Trusts also have a duty to ensure taxpayers' money is not wasted. The number and duration of suspensions has significantly dropped in recent years thanks to the excellent work of the National Clinical Advisory Service.

Elderly People: Care

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the provision of care to the elderly.

Ivan Lewis: A number of steps are being taken to improve the provision of care to elderly including:
	a three-year social care transformation programme beginning this April in every local authority area;
	the first ever national dementia strategy to be published in the autumn;
	the new deal for carers to be announced by the Prime Minister in the spring;
	the extension of our Dignity in Care campaign;
	Commission for Social Care Inspection review of social care eligibility criteria and introduction of star ratings for care providers;
	the review of the adult protection framework;
	Lord Darzi's national health service next stage final report;
	Public consultation leading to a Green Paper on the nature and funding of the care and support system for adults; and
	Work supported by continued growth in NHS and social care investment.

Abortion

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in England had more than  (a) four,  (b) five,  (c) six and  (d) seven abortions by the end of 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is as follows and is available in table 4b of the Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2006 copies of which are available in the Library.
	
		
			  Table 4b: legal abortions: number of previous abortions by age( 1) , 2006—England and Wales, residents 
			  Number of previous abortions  Total  under 18  18 to 24  25 to 29  30+ 
			 0 131,833 17,173 57,000 28,222 29,438 
			 1 47,156 1,341 17,047 13,697 15,071 
			 2 10,944 82 3,147 3,540 4,175 
			 3 2,501 (2)— (2)— 826 1,128 
			 4 947 (2)— (2)— 300 412 
			 5 192 (2)— (2)— 65 108 
			 6 110 (2)— (2)— (2)— 53 
			 7 or more 54 (2)— (2)— (2)— 33 
			 Total 193,737 18,619 78,007 46,693 50,418 
			 (1) Age not stated have been distributed prorata across age group 20 to 24. (2) Values are suppressed where totals are less than 10 (0 to 9) or where a presented total would reveal the suppressed value.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on treatment, counselling and other support services for  (a) alcohol addiction and  (b) illicit drug addiction in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Project reported in 2005 that the national health service spent an estimated £217 million a year in England in 2003-04. An extra £15 million in additional funding has been included within primary care trusts (PCTs) general allocations from 2007-08 to improve alcohol interventions.
	NHS spending on alcohol interventions is not collected centrally, so historic figures are not available.
	The National Audit Office will carry out an audit of NHS alcohol spend on interventions and specialist treatment and this is expected to report in the summer of 2008. This will provide a comprehensive picture of how different areas are funding provision for alcohol harms.
	Since 2001, the Department of Health and the Home Office have provided specific resources for drug treatment in the form of the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB). This funding is allocated to the 149 drug action teams across the country to use, along with local mainstream funding, to provide for treatment and services according to the specific needs of each locality. We do not hold information on drug treatment spend prior to 2001.
	PTB allocations and local investment in drug treatment is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   PTB allocation  Local funding amount 
			 2001-02 142 145 
			 2002-03 191 131 
			 2003-04 236 200 
			 2004-05 253 204 
			 2005-06 300 208 
			 2006-07 385 212 
			 2007-08 398 206 
			 2008-09 398 (1)206 
			 (1) Estimated spend for 2008-09. 
		
	
	In addition to the money spent directly on delivering treatment, central and local government funding is also spent on improving access to treatment (e.g. for offenders via Drugs Interventions Programme) and supporting drug misusers after they come out of treatment (e.g. aftercare and supporting people).

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will allocate increased funding to specialist alcohol treatment services.

Dawn Primarolo: An extra £15 million in additional funding has been included within primary care trusts (PCTs) general allocations from 2007-08 to improve alcohol interventions.
	Alcohol treatment, like all other national health service services is not separately funded but met from mainstream NHS resources. It is for local PCTs to arrange to meet local needs from their resources; they are in the best position to assess the merits of various types of local activity and to determine the allocation of funds at their disposal.

Alcoholic Drugs: Misuse

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished admissions to hospital there were where an illness related to  (a) alcohol and  (b) an illicit drug was a primary or secondary diagnosis at the outset in each of the last three years, broken down by primary care trust.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham) on 12 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 465-55W.
	Within the system of diagnostic codes used to classify admission to hospital, it is not possible to differentiate whether these drugs have been taken illicitly or if they have been prescribed, e.g. morphine or codeine for pain relief, and a patient has accidentally overdosed.

Children: Developing Countries

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take towards implementing the UN global strategy for infant and young child feeding.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department supports the World Health Organisation Global Strategy for infant and young child feeding and has implemented several of its recommendations. In line with the Strategy, the Department recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant's life and continued breastfeeding along with solid foods thereafter. The Department is encouraging all health care settings to adopt the principles of Baby Friendly Initiative and have recently produced information leaflets for parents jointly with Unicef UK on breastfeeding, weaning and safe bottle feeding. In addition, we have implemented the new regulations on infant and follow-on formula introducing stricter controls on advertising of all types of formulae, to ensure that breastfeeding is not undermined by marketing of such products.
	The Department promotes breastfeeding through a range of initiatives including National Breastfeeding Awareness Week to be held from 11-17 May with the aim of encouraging young mothers from disadvantaged groups to initiate and continue breastfeeding. Increased support is provided through an easily accessible national telephone helpline, which provides information to enable mothers to sustain breastfeeding during the early weeks and beyond.
	We have recently announced a £75 million, three year marketing programme in the cross-Government Obesity Strategy, which will inform, support and empower parents in making changes to their children's diet and levels of physical activity. The programme will particularly focus on the early years including: maternal nutrition, encouraging breastfeeding and supporting healthy weaning and healthy diets in young children.

Civil Service Appeal Board

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of appeals by employees of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies were (i) heard and (ii) upheld by the Civil Service Appeal Board in each of the last 10 years; how much was awarded in compensation by the Board to each successful appellant in each year; what the reason was for each compensation award; how many appellants were reinstated by the Board in each year; and what the reason was for each (A) dismissal and (B) reinstatement.

Ben Bradshaw: Since 2006 one appeal to the Civil Service Appeal Board (CSAB) has been decided, during 2007. The appeal was not upheld, so no compensation or reinstatement resulted. The reason for dismissal which related to that appeal was redundancy.
	Prior to 2006, information from the Department is not available without incurring disproportionate costs as it would be necessary to refer to individual staff files.
	No appeals to the CSAB took place from the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency or the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency during the requested period.

Departmental Empty Property

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the sums to be paid by his Department in unoccupied property rates in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: Approximately £48,000 was paid in unoccupied business rates by the Department in 2007-08 and it is estimated that £72,000 will be paid in 2008-09.

Departmental Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1690W, on departmental standards, which standard was not met by each trust listed in the document placed in the Library that did not meet all the core Standards for Better Health in 2006-07; and for what reasons in each case for which information is available.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is available from the Healthcare Commission.

Departmental Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1690W, on departmental standards, 
	(1)  by how much staff numbers at University Hospital Lewisham NHS Trust were reduced as noted in the document placed in the Library; and what the effect was on capacity at the Trust in 2006-07;
	(2)  what weaknesses Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Partnership NHS Trusts demonstrated in relation to the management of bank and agency staff in 2006-07, as noted in the document placed in the Library;
	(3)  for what reason the Barnet Primary Care Trust breast screening programme had to be suspended for patient safety in 2006-07, as noted in the document placed in the Library;
	(4)  what problems were experienced by South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust with its loan arrangement in 2006-07, as noted in the document placed in the Library.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally.
	The specific significant control issues referred to in the questions are included in the Statement on Internal Control of the relevant trust and these are published alongside the annual accounts. This information can be obtained directly from the trusts concerned.

Departmental Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1690W, on departmental standards, what contractual problems with dentists were experienced by Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust in 2006-07, as noted in the document placed in the Library.

Ben Bradshaw: North West Strategic Health Authority had set Ellesmere Port and Neston Primary Care Trust and Cheshire West Primary Care Trust a combined target of 417,094 units of dental activity. Following the re-organisation of primary care trusts in October 2006, the newly formed PCT—Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust—completed a six-month review with all its dental contractors and a revised target of 483,474 units of dental activity was agreed. The final annual financial reconciliation figure for 2006-07 showed that dentists across the PCT area produced a total of 430,807 units of dental activity.
	Since the finalised year-end figures have been received, the PCT has organised annual reviews with each provider, to review their achievement against their contract for the full year 2006-07 and determine any further changes required for individual contracts.

Departmental Written Questions

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many written Questions to his Department had not received an answer as at 25 February 2008 for  (a) between two and four,  (b) between four and six,  (c) between six and eight and  (d) more than eight weeks; and how many in each category were tabled for named day answer.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of weeks since Department received parliamentary question (as at 25 February 2008)  Number of parliamentary questions yet to receive an answer  Number of these that were named day questions 
			 Two to four 140 5 
			 Four to six 29 0 
			 Six to eight 10 0 
			 More than eight 19 1

Dietary Supplements: Nutrition

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions he and Ministers in his Department plan to hold with European counterparts on the Government's objectives for the outcome of negotiations on the setting of maximum permitted levels for nutrients in food supplements; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the likely date is for the setting of maximum permitted levels for nutrients in food supplements under the provisions of the Food Supplements Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: There are no current plans for Health Ministers to meet with European counterparts on the Government's objectives for the outcome of negotiations on the setting of maximum permitted levels for nutrients in food supplements. Food Standards Agency officials will hold bilateral meetings with their European counterparts on an individual basis and at European Commission working group meetings.
	The Commission has indicated its intention for proposals in the form of draft amending legislation to go forward to the Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health for consideration in early 2009. A date for completion of the negotiation process has not been set.

General Practitioners

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of UK residents not registered with a GP; and whether a recent assessment has been made of the reasons.

Ben Bradshaw: These data are not collected centrally by the Department.

General Practitioners: Working Hours

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the north-east and  (d) England were seen by out-of-hours GP services in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally. My hon. Friend may therefore wish to approach the chief executive of South Tyneside Primary Care Trust (PCT) for information on numbers of patients seen by out of hours general practitioner services.
	PCTs now have a legal responsibility to ensure that they provide, or secure provision of out of hours services for their local population.

Health Services

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) GP practices,  (b) dental practices,  (c) ophthalmic practices and  (d) pharmacies there were in (i) England and (ii) each English region in each of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table shows the number of general practitioner (GP) practices and GPs, excluding retainers and registrars, in each strategic health authority (SHA) and all of England on 30 September in 2005 to 2007, which are the latest data available.
	
		
			   2005  2006  2007 
			   GPs (excluding retainers and registrars)  GP practices  GPs (excluding retainers and registrars)  GP practices  GPs (excluding retainers and registrars)  GP practices 
			 England 32,738 8,451 33,091 8,325 33,364 8,261 
			
			 North East 1,726 404 1,815 396 1,779 394 
			 North West 4,311 1,303 4,392 1,285 4,436 1,272 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 3,372 826 3,386 817 3,460 807 
			 East Midlands 2,573 630 2,570 621 2,656 627 
			 West Midlands 3,357 989 3,390 968 3,432 965 
			 East of England 3,510 802 3,568 778 3,510 769 
			 London 4,896 1,591 4,868 1,579 4,953 1,546 
			 South East Coast 2,641 649 2,684 638 2,700 644 
			 South Central 2,543 511 2,611 500 2,638 503 
			 South West 3,809 746 3,807 743 3,800 734 
			  Notes: 1. Data as at 30 September 2005-2007. 2. Historical data prior to 2006 have been mapped to new SHA areas to provide estimates for comparability.  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care. General and personal medical services statistics. 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of nation health service dental practices with an open general dental services (GDS) or personal dental services (PDS) contract in England, by SHA, as at 31 March 2004 to 2006. The number of dental practices in each SHA and all of England is based upon the old dental contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) Dental Services Division (DSD) can only provide validated information on the number of NHS dental practices at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   2004  2005  2006 
			 England 8,922 8,908 9,015 
			 East Midlands 612 626 633 
			 East of England 927 926 935 
			 London 1,486 1,483 1,502 
			 North East 401 401 395 
			 North West 1,217 1,224 1,246 
			 South Central 755 761 771 
			 South East Coast 864 854 860 
			 South West 939 923 940 
			 West Midlands 891 890 905 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 830 820 828 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are based on the numbers of dentists with open GDS or PDS contracts. 2. The areas have been defined using practice postcodes within the SHA. 3. Data include all notifications of dentists joining or leaving the GDS or PDS, received by the NHS BSA, up to 24 July 2006.  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care. NHS BSA DSD. 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of NHS general ophthalmic services practitioners premises, by SHA, in England as at 31 December 2006, which is the latest year currently available. England totals are also provided for 2004 and 2005.
	
		
			   2004  2005  2006 
			 England 5,795 5,790 5,748 
			 East Midlands n/a n/a 497 
			 East of England n/a n/a 567 
			 London n/a n/a 864 
			 North East n/a n/a 262 
			 North West n/a n/a 851 
			 South Central n/a n/a 413 
			 South East Coast n/a n/a 457 
			 South West n/a n/a 580 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a 642 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber n/a n/a 615 
			 n/a = Not applicable (regional breakdown for 2004 and 2005 is currently not available)  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of community pharmacies in contract with primary care trusts, by SHA, in England as at 31 March 2005 to 2007, which are the latest data available.
	
		
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 England 9,736 9,872 10,133 
			 East Midlands 749 759 785 
			 East of England 940 953 986 
			 London 1,742 1,738 1,762 
			 North East 508 514 527 
			 North West 1,475 1,498 1,551 
			 South Central 641 651 660 
			 South East Coast 754 767 787 
			 South West 895 916 929 
			 West Midlands 1,063 1,080 1,110 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 969 996 1,036 
			  Note: The SHAs were reorganised in July 2006 and data for 2007 is as published. The data for 2005 and 2006, originally published in the 28 old SHAs have been combined to give the best estimate of figures for the new 10 SHAs.  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care. The General Pharmaceutical Services (Annual Bulletin) 2006-07.

Health Services: Religion

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department gives to primary care trusts on the treatment of patients of diverse religious beliefs.

Ivan Lewis: The Department recognises that we all now live in a multicultural, multi-faith society. The Department is committed to recognising the needs of patients and staff of diverse religious groups, and to responding sensitively and appropriately to these needs.
	As part of a series of guides to support the national health service in complying with existing and forthcoming public sector duties on equalities, the Department has commissioned guidance for the NHS on religion and belief which will be published in April 2008 and once available will be placed in the Library. This guidance will outline examples of good practice and feature case studies from NHS organisations that are working towards achieving equality in treatment of patients from diverse religious backgrounds.
	The NHS has been committed for some time to the recognition of the needs of patients and staff of diverse religious groups. Guidance on meeting the spiritual needs of patients and staff has been in place since 1992 and states that:
	The NHS should, where necessary, make every effort to provide for the spiritual needs of patients and staff. As far as reasonably possible, this provision should recognise the welfare needs of both Christians and non-Christians.
	In November 2003 the Department published "NHS Chaplaincy: Meeting the Religious and Spiritual needs of Patients and Staff", which aims to ensure that NHS chaplaincy services reflect the religious diversity of the communities the NHS serves. This guidance was developed with advice from the Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy, an independent group, which includes representatives from nine faith communities. A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library and is also available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_3062016
	In December 2007 the Department published a leaflet entitled "Going to Hajj or Umrah"? This leaflet explains and offers advice on some of the risks concerning meningitis for travellers to the Muslim pilgrimage.

Health: Equality

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce health inequalities in England.

Dawn Primarolo: Health inequalities are unacceptable. That is why in 2005 the Government introduced the most ambitious programme ever seen in this country to address them.
	This commitment was strengthened further in September 2007, when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the Department will publish a comprehensive strategy in 2008 for reducing health inequalities that will address unjustified gaps in health status and ensure fair access to national health service services for everyone and good outcomes of care for all.
	The current cross-Government national health inequalities strategy, 'Tackling Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action' is in place to deliver the 2010 health inequalities target to narrow the gap in infant mortality, by social class, and life expectancy at birth, by geographical area.
	A review of the infant mortality element of the 2010 target, published in February 2007, will help improve delivery of local services to disadvantaged populations by working in partnership with local government and others. An implementation plan and good practice guide to promote the findings of the review was published in December 2007.
	Health inequalities are a key priority for the NHS as set out in the NHS operating framework 2008-09. Incentives for the NHS and local authorities have been aligned with the same health inequalities indicators in both the NHS operating framework 2008-09—Vital Signs and the New Performance Framework for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships: Single Set of National Indicators.
	Joint Strategic Needs Assessment supports primary care trusts (PCTs) and local authorities to develop a whole health and social care system, which meets the needs of local people and takes account of inequalities, and Communities for Health is a local authority-led initiative focused on health improvement and reducing health inequalities by promoting action across local organisations, including all Spearheads.
	The Department is also providing tailored, intensive, assistance to areas that face the biggest challenges in delivering the 2010 target. We have established national support teams on health inequalities and on tobacco control and smoking cessation that will disseminate best practice across areas with high infant mortality rates and Spearhead areas—the local authority areas with the worst health and deprivation indicators and PCTs which map to them.
	The Department and the Association of Public Health Observatories have developed the interactive Health Inequalities Intervention Tool. Launched in August 2007, the tool helps local health services and councils improve life expectancy in Spearhead areas.

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters his Department has received from users of stoma and urology products commenting on the proposed changes to Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services to primary care in the last three months.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 14 March 2008
	 The Department has received over 2,100 letters and e-mails concerning part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services to primary care since 12 December 2007. However, the Department can supply the number of these that were specifically from users of stoma and urology products only at disproportionate cost.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1078W, on influenza, whether the final uptake data for the season 2007-08 seasonal influenza campaign are now available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested has been placed in the Library. The final uptake data for 2007-08 seasonal flu campaign are also available at:
	www.immunisation.nhs.uk/Vaccines/Flu/Vaccine/Influenza_vaccine_uptake_results_by_age_and_PCT

Injuries: Children

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) serious and  (b) fatal accidental injuries sustained by children in 2007; and what estimate he has made of the number of these which were the result of participation in sport;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of serious injuries arising from playing rugby that resulted in  (a) quadriplegia,  (b) paraplegia,  (c) concussion,  (d) ligament damage and  (e) fractures in males aged (i) 12 to 15 and (ii) over 16-years-old, broken down by region, in 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on serious and fatal accidental injuries for 2007 would normally be provided by the Office for National Statistics but is not yet available. Information is not collected centrally on serious and fatal accidental injuries that result from participation in sport including rugby.

Lancashire Ambulance Trust: Standards

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times the Lancashire Ambulance Trust did not meet its target call-out time in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the available performance data for the North West Ambulance Service Trust are shown in the following table.
	Data held on ambulance services are already published in the publication: "Ambulance Services, England 2006-07" which is available in the Library.
	
		
			  Emergency incidents: response times by ambulance service and category A call, in North West Ambulance trust 2006-07 
			   England  North West 
			 Total number of incidents with emergency response (thousand) 1,795.8 277.7 
			 Total number of incidents with emergency response within eight minutes (thousand) 1,340.3 201.8 
			 Response within eight minutes (percentage) 74.6 72.7 
			  Source: Form KA34, the Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	
		
			  Emergency incidents: response times by ambulance service and category B call in the North West, 2006-07 
			   England  North West 
			 Total number of incidents with ambulance vehicle arriving (thousand) 2,378.9 351.5 
			 Response within 19 minutes (percentage) 90.5 91.2 
			  Note: For 2006-07 the 14/19 minute response times were dropped with the urban/rural split and replaced with 19 minutes for all trusts.  Source: Form KA34, the Information Centre for health and social care.

Macular Degeneration

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the Moorfields eye hospital guidelines for treatment for macular degeneration.

Dawn Primarolo: It would not be appropriate for the Department to publish these. However, we understand that Moorfields eye hospital would, on request from my hon. Friend, send him a copy of the guidelines they use in assessing cases of age related macular degeneration before applying to primary care trusts for funding.

Mental Health Services: Admissions

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the occupancy rates of  (a) medium and  (b) high security mental health beds were in each mental health trust in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The information is not available in the form requested. Data are collected on the numbers of mental health and learning disability secure unit beds, available and occupied, in NHS units. The data are not broken down by mental health trusts and do not include independent sector beds.
	Data on the average daily number of mental health secure unit beds, and learning disability secure unit beds in NHS units in England over the last five years is set out in the table:
	
		
			  Average daily number of mental health and learning disability secure unit beds in NHS units 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Available Mental Illness 2,064 2,569 2,696 2,807 2,993 
			 Occupancy Mental Illness n/a 2,378 2,472 2,545 2,722 
			 Available Learning Disability 508 514 503 526 516 
			 Occupancy Learning Disability n/a 470 484 502 489 
			 n/a = not available (1 )The definitions of Mental Health and Learning Disability Secure Unit Beds, for the purposes of the KH03 annual beds collection, are:  Mental illness—other ages, Secure unit An Age Group Intended of National Code 8 'Any age', a Broad Patient Group Code of National Code 5 'Patients with mental illness' and a Clinical Care Intensity of National Code 51 'for intensive care: specially designated ward for patients needing containment and more intensive management. This is not to be confused with intensive nursing where a patient may require one to one nursing while on a standard ward'.  Learning disabilities—other ages, Secure unit An Age Group Intended of National Code 8 'Any age', a Broad Patient Group Code of National Code 6 'Patients with learning difficulties' and a Clinical Care Intensity of National Code 61 'designated or interim secure unit'.  Source: (1)( )Department of Health Dataset KH03. 
		
	
	In addition to these data, service level agreements provide information on the number of high secure beds commissioned for the last five years. This is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of high secure beds commissioned by NHS 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Ashworth 436 436 278 295 270 
			 Broadmoor 408 360 408 416 273 
			 Rampton 459 427 388 379 413

MMR Vaccine: Children

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children  (a) aged around 13 months and  (b) immediately before starting school were given the MMR vaccine in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Information about the uptake of MMR immunisations and other childhood immunisations is published annually. The latest information is contained in the Statistical Bulletin "NHS Immunisation Statistics, England: 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07". Copies of 2004-05 and 2005-06 bulletins are available in the Library. Copies of 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2006-07 bulletins have been placed in the Library.
	The bulletins are also available on the Information Centre for health and social care website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/immunisation

NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of calls to NHS Direct were referred to  (a) 999,  (b) accident and emergency,  (c) an out-of-hours GP service,  (d) self-care,  (e) a pharmacy and  (f) another service in each quarter since January 2003.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS Direct—Sorting of clinical calls 
			  Quarter  999  Accident and Emergency  General practitioner (GP)( 1)  Self Care( 2)  Other 
			  2003  
			 Q1 4.6 9.2 33.4 25.8 26.9 
			 Q2 4.5 9.8 33.2 25.4 27.1 
			 Q3 4.9 10.6 32.8 25.1 26.6 
			 Q4 5.0 8.5 33.2 23.9 29.4 
			  2004  
			 Q1 5.1 9.2 33.7 26.0 26.1 
			 Q2 5.0 8.9 32.9 26.7 26.6 
			 Q3 4.9 8.3 30.8 28.8 27.1 
			 Q4 4.8 7.3 31.1 29.0 27.8 
			  2005  
			 Q1 4.4 6.5 30.1 28.0 30.9 
			 Q2 4.4 7.5 28.8 28.9 30.5 
			 Q3 4.4 7.7 28.3 29.4 30.2 
			 Q4 4.7 7.5 31.3 29.4 27.1 
			  2006  
			 Q1 4.6 7.2 32.3 29.5 26.4 
			 Q2 4.1 7.9 29.8 30.5 27.8 
			 Q3 4.3 8.1 25.8 30.1 31.8 
			 Q4 4.4 7.5 27.0 29.5 31.7 
			  2007  
			 Q1 4.4 7.6 26.7 29.7 31.7 
			 Q2 4.0 8.3 27.8 33.0 26.8 
			 Q3 4.0 8.6 26.9 35.9 24.6 
			 Q4 4.4 7.9 27.8 35.9 24.0 
			  2008  
			 Q1 4.0 7.8 26.8 39.2 22.1 
			 (1) Includes all GP referrals (2) category includes referral to a pharmacy

NHS: Drugs

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of patients prescribed Cox 2 inhibitors in the last 10 years and  (b) the number of those prescriptions which involved Vioxx as part of the treatment programme.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not hold information on number of patients prescribed drugs, only on prescription items that are dispensed. The number of items dispensed since 1999 for Cox 2 inhibitors and Vioxx is provided in the following table. There is no record of prescribing prior to this date.
	
		
			  Prescription items dispensed in the community in England 
			  Thousand 
			   Cox 2 inhibitors (including Vioxx)  Vioxx 
			 1997 0.0 0.0 
			 1998 0.0 0.0 
			 1999 162.6 162.6 
			 2000 894.1 784.5 
			 2001 1,943.8 1,269.8 
			 2002 3,241.8 1,780.8 
			 2003 4,509.0 2,128.6 
			 2004 5,233.0 1,831.3 
			 2005 1,317.1 0.9 
			 2006 1,014.2 0.1 
			  Source:  Prescription Cost Analysis system.

NHS: Fraud

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the NHS Countering Fraud and Corruption manual.

Dawn Primarolo: The NHS Countering Fraud and Corruption manual is a restricted operational document that gives detailed guidance on the methods used by accredited NHS counter fraud specialists to prevent and detect fraud in the national health service. A copy of this manual cannot be placed in the Library as it is exempt from disclosure under section 31(1)(g) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Nutrition

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Food Standards Agency's proposed nutrient profiling scheme will relate to the scheme being developed by the European Commission and European Food Safety Authority in accordance with the provisions of the Nutrition and Health Claims on Food Regulation; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency's Nutrient Profiling (NP) model and the NP model being developed by the European Commission are intended for different purposes. The agency model is used to control television advertising to children, while the European model will be to control nutrition and health claims on foods. The agency's model is consistent with the scientific principles set out in the recent European Food Safety Authority opinion on nutrient profiling.

Obesity: Artificial Sweeteners

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) undertaken and  (b) evaluated on possible links between the use of aspartame in foods and obesity levels; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not undertaken research or evaluation specifically on the effect of aspartame consumption on obesity levels.
	Aspartame, if used to replace added sugar in foods, can help to reduce its energy content and contribute to consumer choice. The Government's healthy eating advice remains that consumers should limit their intake of sugary foods and drinks and that sugars should provide no more than 10 per cent. of dietary energy.

Palliative Care: South Yorkshire

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data are used by commissioners to determine the need for specialist palliative and neurological care in Barnsley East and Mexborough constituency.

Ivan Lewis: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs), including Barnsley PCT, within the national health service to commission services for their resident population, including end of life care and neurological care, based on an assessment of local needs and priorities. Strategic health authorities are responsible for monitoring PCTs to ensure they are effective and efficient.
	The NHS operating framework for 2007-08 asked PCTs, working with local authorities, to undertake a baseline review of their end of life care services. These will allow local commissioners to assess current services, identify gaps and obtain a much clearer view of local need, which will inform local commissioning.
	Regarding neurological care, the information strategy published alongside the "National Service Framework for Long-term (Neurological) Conditions" outlines commissioners' information requirements and a series of local and national actions designed to meet those needs. A copy of the framework is available in the Library.

Palliative Care: York

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on supportive and palliative care has been implemented in the Vale of York.

Ivan Lewis: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs), including North Yorkshire and York PCT, within the national health service to commission services for their resident population, including end of life care, based on assessments of local needs and priorities. The NHS has been required to set out action plans to achieve compliance with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendations on supportive and palliative care. Implementation is being monitored by strategic health authorities (SHAs).
	Information on the rate of progress locally can be obtained through the Yorkshire and the Humber SHA.

Palliative Care: York

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data are used by commissioners to determine the need for specialist palliative and neurological care in the Vale of York.

Ivan Lewis: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs), including North Yorkshire and York PCT, within the national health service to commission services for their resident population, including end of life care and neurological care, based on an assessment of local needs and priorities. Strategic health authorities are responsible for monitoring PCTs to ensure they are effective and efficient.
	The NHS operating framework for 2007-08 asked PCTs, working with local authorities, to undertake a baseline review of their end of life care services. These will allow local commissioners to assess current services, identify gaps and obtain a much clearer view of local need, which will inform local commissioning.
	Regarding neurological care, the information strategy published alongside the "National Service Framework for Long-term (Neurological) Conditions" outlines commissioners' information requirements and a series of local and national actions designed to meet those needs. A copy of the framework is available in the Library.

Polyclinics

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research the Department has commissioned on the likely clinical outcomes from polyclinics.

Ben Bradshaw: The term polyclinic can be used to define a range of possible health service models characterised by the co-location and integration of different services, including those traditionally provided in a hospital outpatient setting and diagnostic services. International evidence available from these types of service models is that they can prevent out-patient appointments and reduce hospital admissions. However, clinical outcomes will depend on a range of local factors, including the local design of the services in question.
	The clinical design of national health service services is determined locally by primary care trusts and service providers based on local health needs. As part of the NHS Next Stage Review, there are currently some two thousand clinicians considering the best, evidence-based models of care and delivery models.

Sex: Young People

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage of people under 17 years old who had had sexual intercourse in England in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Annual tracking surveys of sexual health campaigns have been undertaken by an independent market research company, TNS, since 2002. It is estimated from data from the surveys between 2004 and 2008 (based on 3,076, 16 to 24-year-olds (including young people who were not yet sexually active)) that 60 per cent. of young people claim to have had sex before they reached the age of 17 and this has not changed in the last five years. The surveys also found the average age of first sex to be 16.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Young People

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many under 17-year-olds were diagnosed with a sexually-transmitted infection in England in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Age specific data are not collected centrally and are only available by age groups. The following table shows the total number of new diagnoses of selected sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in under 16s and 16 to 19-year-olds in England.
	
		
			  T otal number of new diagnoses of selected STIs in under 16s and 16 to 19-year-olds in genitor-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics in England; 2002-06 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			   Under 16  16-19  Under 16  16-19  Under 16  16-19  Under 16  16-19  Under 16  16-19 
			 Uncomplicated chlamydial infection 1,115 20,072 1,372 22,486 1,367 24,698 1,314 25,344 1,327 25,658 
			 Uncomplicated gonorrhoea 340 4,906 322 4,737 261 4,271 230 3,391 193 3,348 
			 Primary and secondary infectious syphilis 3 43 3 51 3 61 17 102 8 100 
			 Anogenital herpes simplex - first attack 149 2,322 151 2,369 142 2,462 140 2,563 144 3,017 
			 Anogenital warts - first attack 552 11,278 574 11,929 584 12,924 514 13,235 621 13,973 
			  Notes:  1. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for diagnoses made in GUM clinics only. Diagnoses made in other clinical settings, such as General Practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset. 2. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. For example, individuals may be diagnosed with chlamydia several times in one year and each diagnosis will be counted separately. 3. The information provided has been adjusted for missing clinic data. 4. Data are not yet available for 2007. 5. Data are only collected by age for the five main STIs.

PRIME MINISTER

Chequers

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Prime Minister  (a) how many,  (b) which and  (c) how often (i) Cabinet Office civil servants, (ii) Number 10 civil servants and (iii) Number 10 political staff have been at Chequers in his absence.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office (Gillian Merron) on 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 825W.

Written Questions

Michael Penning: To ask the Prime Minister how many written questions to him had not received an answer as at 25 February 2008 for  (a) between two and four,  (b) between four and six,  (c) between six and eight and  (d) more than eight weeks; and how many in each category were tabled for named day answer.

Gordon Brown: My Office aims to answer all ordinary written parliamentary questions within five working days, and named day written parliamentary questions on the day named.
	Since the start of the current parliamentary session 100 per cent. of named day questions were answered on the day named. As at 25 February 2008 two parliamentary questions remained unanswered; neither of these were for named day answer.

Ministers: Official Residences

Bob Neill: To ask the Prime Minister if he will consider the merits of using empty official ministerial residences as Government offices; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by both my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office (Gillian Merron) on 24 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2175-6W and me on 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1135W, to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles).

TREASURY

Birth Rate: Young People

Iris Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the birth rate for under 17-year-olds was in England in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 18 March 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question about the birth rate for under 17 year olds in England in each of the last 5 years. (194271)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2006. The table below shows the birth rate for women aged under 17 in England for the years 2002 to 2006.
	
		
			  Birth rate for women aged under 17 years, England, 2002-2006 
			   Birth rate per 1,000 women( 1) 
			 2002 7.5 
			 2003 7.2 
			 2004 7.1 
			 2005 6.8 
			 2006 6.9 
			 (1) Live births to women aged under 17 per 1,000 women aged 15 or 16.

Birth Rate: Young People

Iris Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many under 17-year-olds  (a) gave birth and  (b) had an abortion in England in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 18 March 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many under 17 year olds (a) gave birth and (b) had an abortion in England in each of the last five years. (194272)
	Available figures are estimates of the number of conceptions that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or legal termination.
	Number of conceptions leading to maternities and abortions for girls aged under 17 from 2002 to 2006 (latest year for which figures are available) are provided so that meaningful comparisons can be made on number of abortions and maternities that occur each year by age of woman. Figures for 2006 are provisional.
	
		
			  Number of conceptions to girls aged under 17 that lead to a maternity or an abortion, 2002 to 2006, England 
			   Conceptions leading to a maternity  Conceptions leading to an abortion  Total conceptions 
			 2002 10,061 10,006 20,067 
			 2003 9,906 10,137 20,043 
			 2004 9,929 10,031 19,960 
			 2005 9,840 10,164 20,004 
			 2006(1) 9,121 10,425 19,546 
			 (1) Conceptions for 2006 are provisional.

Business: British Overseas Territories

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to require all UK overseas territories to adopt the standards of corporate disclosure which apply in the UK; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to achieve that objective where necessary.

Jane Kennedy: Matters of company law are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. In relation to tax matters, British overseas territories are responsible for their own domestic legislation, but the UK encourages them to adopt high standards of disclosure. In particular we encourage them to meet OECD standards of transparency and exchange of information by concluding tax information exchange agreements with the UK and other OECD countries.

Gift Aid: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many organisations in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London Borough of Bexley have received Gift Aid since its introduction.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do not separately identify Gift Aid claims by types of organisations or by countries, regions, towns or local authorities of the UK.
	Amounts of tax repaid to charities in the UK on donations under Gift Aid are published in table 10.1 on the HMRC website at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm
	In 2006-07, a total of £830 million was repaid to UK charities under Gift Aid.

Non-domestic Rates

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the expenditure on national non-domestic rates by businesses in England as a percentage of  (a) purchases,  (b) turnover and  (c) gross value added in each of the last three financial years, broken down by turnover band of businesses.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 18 March 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking for expenditure on national non-domestic rates by businesses in England, by turnover band, as percentages of turnover, purchases and gross value added (GVA). I am replying in her absence. (193246)
	Our annual business inquiry (ABI), which covers most of the economy but excludes some sectors, such as agriculture, finance, local and central government, collects data on national non-domestic rates. The latest figures published for England alone relate to 2005. 2006 estimates will be available in June 2008.
	The ABI is normally stratified using employment sizebands but the turnover sizebands used in the analysis are standard to the inquiry.
	The attached table shows the data as per your request.
	Further details of the coverage of the annual business inquiry are given at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/abi
	The annual business inquiry is a sample survey so the figures are subject to sampling error. This is likely to be greater for the figures relating to small businesses than for businesses in the larger turnover bands.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   National non-domestic business rates in England as a percentage of: 
			   Total turnover  Total purchases of goods and services  Gross value added (GVA) 
			 Turnover sizeband (£) 2005 2004 2003 2005 2004 2003 2005 2004 2003 
			 <£1 million 1.07 1.08 1.15 1.86 1.86 1.91 2.47 2.57 2.81 
			 >£1 million<£10million 0.90 0.90 0.94 1.40 1.39 1.45 2.49 2.54 2.69 
			 >£10million<£50million 0.76 0.73 0.75 1.13 1.09 1.10 2.29 2.27 2.36 
			 >£50million<£00million 0.62 0.58 0.62 0.89 0.84 0.88 2,06 1.93 2.05 
			 >£100million<£500million 0.45 0.43 0.48 0.63 0.63 0.67 1.53 1.47 1.81 
			 >£500million 0.16 0.15 0.15 0.20 0.19 0.19 1.24 1.08 1.07 
			 All 0.69 0.70 0.74 1.01 1.01 1.09 2.20 2.21 2.39

Non-domestic Rates: Revenue

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what income HM Treasury received from national non-domestic rates in each of the last five financial years.

Jane Kennedy: The information is as follows:
	
		
			   National non-domestic rates (£ billion) 
			 2002-03 18.5 
			 2003-04 18.4 
			 2004-05 18.7 
			 2005-06 19.8 
			 2006-07 21.0

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what data security measures have been put in place for HM Revenue and Customs databases; and how much these measures  (a) have cost and  (b) are expected to cost.

Jane Kennedy: Data security measures are imbedded within everyday business processes. They are an integral part of the running of HMRC's databases and IT projects. For security reasons it would be inappropriate to comment on specific measures.
	The associated costs are not separable from the overall running costs and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether each of HM Revenue and Customs, data guardians works full-time in that role.

Jane Kennedy: A data guardian has been appointed in each HMRC business unit. Data guardians work with business directors to help ensure the security of the data held in their respective areas.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the qualifying income level for tax credits is for  (a) a single person earner household and  (b) a single person earner household with (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) three children.

Jane Kennedy: From April 2008, single working adults without children will benefit from working tax credit up to annual incomes of around £12,000.
	Single working adults with children, will benefit from tax credits up to annual incomes of around £58,000 (£66,000 if there is at least one child who is less than a year old). Families claiming the child care element of the working tax credit could benefit from tax credits on higher incomes, depending on the level of child care costs.

Tax Evasion

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to introduce legislation to enable HM Revenue and Customs to overrule any commercial arrangement which it deems has been set up primarily to reduce or avoid taxes.

Jane Kennedy: Artificial avoidance schemes are unfair on the majority of taxpayers who do pay their fair share, and undermine the funding of public services. The Government are determined to adopt a robust approach in countering these.
	To be effective, anti-avoidance legislation needs to clear and well targeted. As part of the Anti-Avoidance Simplification Review the Government are considering how more generic approaches to anti-avoidance legislation, including a principles-based approach and targeted anti-avoidance rules, can best meet aims of simplicity and revenue protection.
	A general anti-avoidance rule, or "GAAR", is not currently under consideration but the Government keep this under review.

Valuation Office: Video Recordings

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 509W, on Valuation Office: video recordings, if he will place in the Library copies of the internal staff videos  (a) Message from CLG client September 2005 and  (b) New Year Message-Tuesday 16 January 2007.

Jane Kennedy: I have placed in the Library a copy of the two internal videos recorded for Valuation Office Agency staff.

VAT

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many businesses filed valued added tax returns in each of the last five years, broken down by size of company; and how many businesses filed value added tax returns online in each year since the service's inception, broken down by size of company;
	(2)  how many businesses have filed value added tax returns by e-mail using third party software in each year since the service's inception, broken down by size of company.

Jane Kennedy: The requested information is not available.

VAT

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has received in VAT receipts from flood repair works carried out by insurance companies since the flooding of summer 2007 in  (a) England and  (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services.

Welfare Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many hours of overtime were worked by staff in the tax credit office in each year since 2003; and at what cost.

Jane Kennedy: For information up to and including 2004-05 I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor the Paymaster General gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 10 October 2005,  Official Report, columns 307-08W.
	Information for 2005-06 and 2006-07 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Estimated hours (thousands-around)  Cost (£ million-around) 
			 2005-06 100 2.5 
			 2006-07 60 1.4

Welfare Tax Credits: Fraud

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings officials from  (a) his Department and  (b) the Tax Credit Office have had with the police to discuss organised fraud by criminal gangs on tax credits.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC is responsible for investigating organised fraud by criminal gangs on the tax credits system. The criminal investigation arm of HMRC maintains close working relationships with the police service and with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). The aim is to build knowledge, share intelligence and ensure a co-ordinated response to organised criminal attacks, both on the tax credits system and any other area of the UK's tax and duty systems.

Welfare Tax Credits: Fraud

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit cases were subject to criminal investigation in each quarter since April 2003.

Jane Kennedy: It would be inappropriate to provide information on the number of cases under investigation since 2003 as this could provide assistance to those engaged in criminal activity.

Welfare Tax Credits: Fraud

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit fraud cases were prosecuted in each year since 2003 relating to  (a) individuals and  (b) criminal gangs.

Jane Kennedy: Prosecution figures for tax credits up to 2006-07 can be found at table 7 part 2 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's Standard Report in the 2006-07 HMRC Accounts, which is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-accounts2007.htm
	Figures for 2007-08 are not yet available. A breakdown of these figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people appealed against tax credit overpayments  (a) successfully and  (b) unsuccessfully in each year since 2003.

Jane Kennedy: This information is not available.
	Customers can contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to appeal if they think their tax credits award is wrong. Information concerning appeals can be found in the HMRC leaflet WTC/AP "How to appeal against a tax credits decision or award" which is available on the internet at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/wtc_ap.pdf
	A decision to recover an overpayment does not carry the right of appeal. For information on the number of appeals received in each year since 2003, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) and my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 11 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 371-72W.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Literacy

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent steps the Government has taken to encourage adults to improve their reading skills.

David Lammy: The Government are committed to improving adult reading and literacy skills through the Skills for Life strategy and we have set challenging targets to eradicate illiteracy by 2020. In 2005-06 (the last year for which we have confirmed figures) 516,000 adults completed literacy courses and improved their skills.
	The Department has been working with partners to promote reading through the Quick Reads initiative, which has put around half a million books in the hands of adult emergent readers since March 2006. We have also supported and promoted the BBC's RaW (Reading and Writing) campaign and the Reading Agency's work with libraries. The national Get On campaign continues to engage learners in literacy courses and we also support a wide range of other initiatives to encourage learners to address their literacy needs, such as Adult Learner's Week, Learning at Work Day, Family Learning Week and the 2008 National Year of Reading.

Computers

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of personal computers in the UK in  (a) business and  (b) domestic use in each of the last 10 years.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	My Department has made no estimates of the precise information requested. However, according to ONS surveys, the number of employees(1) using a computer for their work at least once per week in the 2004-06 period was 7.6 million in 2004; 8.2 million in 2005; and 8.5 million in 2006 (no previous figures exist), and the approximate number of households(2) with a home computer in each of the 10 years up to FY 2005-06 was as follows:
	 Sources:
	(1 )ONS e-commerce survey 2006 of UK businesses with 10 or more in employment.
	(2) ONS Family Expenditure survey (prior to 2001-02 ONS Expenditure and Food Survey (from 2001-02)
	
		
			 FY  Approximate number of households  (million) 
			 1996-97 6.5 
			 1997-98 7.2 
			 1998-99 8.1 
			 1999-00 9.6 
			 2000-01 11.1 
			 2001-02 12.0 
			 2002-03 13.4 
			 2003-04 14.3 
			 2004-05 15.2 
			 2005-06 16.0

Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: Chapter 7 of the "Ministerial Code" sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of posts in his Department have been recategorised from back office to frontline posts as classified by the Gershon efficiency review in each year since 2004.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills is committed to achieving its workforce reduction target, shared with the Department for Children, Schools and Families, by the end of 2007/08. This is a net target and no posts will be reallocated to the frontline as part of it.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining his Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Bill Rammell: The Department's branding guidelines were published on the DIUS corporate website, www.dius.gov.uk/branding in January 2008. The guidelines are also published on the DIUS staff intranet site. The guidelines are intended to be viewed electronically and are best viewed this way but we will place a hard copy in the House Library.
	The estimated cost to produce the DIUS branding guidelines is £20,000. At present there is no specific separate cost foreseen for complying with the guidelines, they simply represent the way materials and communications from the Department will be formatted online and in print. The effectiveness of the guidelines will be reviewed continuously to ensure they meet the departmental needs. This will be done on a project by project basis and will not involve additional cost.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department and its agencies spent on end-of-year bonus payments in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The Department was created as a result of the June 2007 machinery of government changes and no employees have received end of year bonus payments. Information for staff from the former Department for Education and Skills will be provided by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Educational Institutions: First Aid

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the annual cost of providing first aid  (a) facilities and  (b) training at teaching establishments for which his Department is responsible; what the estimated cost was of such provision in 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. Information on first aid facilities and training is not held centrally in this Department and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

ERASMUS

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many UK students studied abroad on ERASMUS programmes in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The number of UK students who have studied abroad under the ERASMUS programme in each of the last 10 years is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Academic year  UK students participating in Erasmus 
			 1997/98 10,598 
			 1998/99 10,005 
			 1999/2000 10,064 
			 2000/01 9,028 
			 2001/02 8,475 
			 2002/03 7,957 
			 2003/04 7,547 
			 2004/05 7,220 
			 2005/06 7,135 
			 2006/07 7,235 
		
	
	Early indications show that in this academic year, over 10,300 UK students will take part in Erasmus.

Higher Education: Admissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps the Government has taken to encourage universities to make their facilities available to the wider community.

Bill Rammell: Higher Education institutions (HEIs), as independent bodies, are free to choose whether, and which, facilities are made available to the wider community. They already engage with the public in many ways, including providing access to sports facilities, museums, theatres and galleries; community volunteering by staff and students; and creating lifelong learning opportunities for a diverse body of learners. In 2005/06 over 70,000 people attended public lectures and over 1 million attended performance arts events organised by HEIs.
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is working with institutions in London and across the country to maximise the valuable contribution that HEIs1 facilities, staff and students will be making to the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics, as well as the event itself.
	The Government recently announced an increase of funding for the HE innovation fund, to £150 million per year in 2010-11. That fund, run by HEFCE, supports HEIs to undertake a wide range of activities, including increasing their engagement with social, cultural and community organisations, as well as businesses, public services and the third sector. In addition, HEFCE, Research Councils UK and the Wellcome Trust have supported the establishment of Beacons of Public Engagement, as part of the Government's Science and Society programme, in which HEIs will further develop their work to build links with the public.

Higher Education: Admissions

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of students from state maintained schools the Government estimates will attend a Russell Group university in each year until 2012-13;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of students from state maintained schools the Government estimates will attend university in each year until 2012-13;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of students from state maintained schools the Government estimates will attend a 1994 Group university in each year until 2012-13.

Bill Rammell: The Government have a target to increase participation in higher education towards 50 per cent. of those aged 18-30 with growth of at least a percentage point every two years to the academic year 2010-11. Increasing and widening participation in HE is a priority for social and economic reasons—forecasts show that, of the 12 million jobs expected to become vacant between 2004 and 2014, 6 million will be in occupations most likely to employ graduates.
	The Government do not make projections of the number of students entering higher education at specific groups of institutions or from specific different sectors of the school system. However, since 1997 the proportion of students entering higher education from state schools has risen from 81.0 per cent. to 86.9 per cent. in 2005.

Higher Education: Admissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent steps the Government has taken to widen participation in higher education.

Bill Rammell: Widening participation is at the heart of our policies both for economic reasons and to promote social justice. The proportion of UK domiciled, young, full-time, first degree entrants to English higher education institutions who were from lower socio-economic groups rose from 27.9 per cent. in 2002/03 to 29.1 per cent. in 2005/06.
	In July, we announced further reforms to student finance. These were:
	(a) an increase in the threshold so that more students qualify for full and partial maintenance grants;
	(b) more flexibility into the repayment system, with the offer of a five-year repayment holiday; and
	(c) introduction of a guaranteed level of support for students in receipt of education maintenance allowances from 2008 who go on to higher education.
	There is no reason for anyone to be deterred from higher education (HE) because of the costs.
	In May this year, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) published guidance to Aimhigher partnerships and universities on how to target their interventions more effectively on young people from lower socio-economic groups. I announced recently that Aimhigher, which raises the attainment levels of young people and their aspirations towards higher education, will continue for another three years.
	In October, DIUS and DCSF launched a joint prospectus on how universities could sponsor trusts or academies. Such partnerships, alongside Aimhigher partnerships, can bring together universities, colleges and schools to identify and nurture talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who would benefit from participation in HE.
	This year, we also launched nine Excellence Hubs. These are higher education-led outreach centres providing aspiration raising activities for gifted and talented learners. Hubs provide at least 10 per cent. of places free to gifted and talented learners from poorer backgrounds.
	In addition, higher education institutions run their own outreach activities, funded for example from tuition fee income under the terms of their access agreements with the Office for Fair Access, or from the widening participation allocation provided by HEFCE.

Higher Education: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects of the proposal to withdraw Higher Education Funding Council for England funding for equivalent or lower level qualifications; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: As we made clear when we announced it in September, our policy is not to "withdraw" funding for students studying for equivalent or lower level qualifications. It is to redeploy over three years around 30 per cent. of the funding that is available for such students and to redeploy it to fund students without such prior qualifications. The policy will therefore promote both our objective of widening access to higher education and our progress towards the target that 40 per cent. of the working age population should have an HE qualification by 2020. It will enable us to support 20,000 more first-time or progressing students (in full-time equivalent terms) than would otherwise be possible, and create incentives for universities to reach out to the six million adults who currently have an A-level or equivalent qualification, but no HE experience.

Qualifications: Higher Education: Fraud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what powers he has to take steps against those offering bogus degrees; whether any investigations are currently on-going; how many institutions have been closed as a result of such investigations in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The statutory responsibility to take investigations and enforcement actions rests with local authorities and their trading standards officers. It is an offence for a UK-based body to offer what could be taken to be UK degrees unless that body is recognised. In addition, local authorities can prosecute UK-based bodies illegally using the protected word "university" in the UK under Business Names regulations. The Trade Descriptions Act and misleading advertising regulations can also be employed in this context. However, the Department is actively assisting the Home Office, the Border and Immigration Agency and local authorities with a number of on-going investigations. Over the last five years, my Department (and its predecessors) has directly assisted local authorities in successful enforcement against 17 offending bodies with closure of 10 and prosecution of a further three. In addition, and since 1 January 2005, 256 colleges on the Department's Register of Education and Training Providers have been investigated by the Borders and Immigration Agency. Of these, 124 have been found to be in breach of the immigration rules, and therefore removed from the Register.

Student Wastage

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what percentage of UK-domiciled, full-time first degree students at each higher education institution neither obtained an award nor transferred to another institution in each year since 2003.

Bill Rammell: The available information on the proportion of UK-domiciled entrants to full-time first degree courses who are projected to neither obtain an award nor transfer to another institution is taken from table T5 of the Performance Indicators in Higher Education and has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Information on the actual number of students who are projected to neither obtain an award nor transfer to another institution is not published.
	This information was published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Figures for the 2005/06 academic year will become available in May of this year. The information is also available at the following website:
	http://www.hesa.ac.uk/pi/home.htm
	The percentage of students in England not completing their course has fallen to its lowest since the non-completion performance indicator was introduced, which already starts from a baseline which is low by international standards.
	According to the figures published by the OECD, the overall completion rate for Type A (first degree equivalent) courses in UK universities and colleges of higher education is among the highest in the OECD countries (the UK ranks fifth out of 23 countries who report data in this area).

Students: Death

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many student fatalities there have been on university campuses in each of the last five years, broken down by cause of death.

Bill Rammell: The information is not held centrally.

Students: Loans

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of abolishing interest on student loans.

Bill Rammell: Abolishing interest on new student loans—to English domiciled students in the UK and EU students studying in England—would increase the long-term resource cost from around 27 per cent. of the face value of the loans to 39 per cent. That means that every £100 lent to students, would cost the taxpayer £12 more, resulting in extra expenditure of around £700 million per year for maintenance and fee loans, once fee loans are in steady state. The estimated cost of abolishing interest for loans that have already been issued is £2.0 billion. These costs are due to the extra interest rate subsidy that would be incurred under a zero interest rate. The terms of student loans are already generous with interest pegged to the rate of inflation so that, in real terms, borrowers repay no more than they borrowed. Abolishing interest would substantially increase the costs to Government and to the taxpayer of subsidising these loans and means that students would repay less in real terms than they had borrowed.

Students: Loans

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many cases of identity fraud in applications for student loans were recorded in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The responsibility for confirming the identity of applicants for student support in England rests with local authorities and the number of cases of identity fraud is not centrally held at present. From 2009/10 the SLC will assess all new applications for student support, and records will be held centrally.
	Where local authorities suspect fraud at the application stage, they will not process the application until they are completely satisfied with the documentary evidence. Where payments have been made, the local authorities may prosecute the students, or report the matter to the police for prosecution and recover any overpayments.
	Last year, departmental officials—in conjunction with the Student Loans Company and local authorities—investigated 15 cases of suspected identity fraud, including some involving the use of stolen birth certificates to create false identities, which resulted in successful prosecutions.
	The NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service Study, commissioned by the Department last year, estimated the identity fraud rate for student support was around 0.6 per cent. of applications in 2005-06. We are working to reduce it further, but it is appreciably lower than other similar systems which involve payments.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the viability of providing statements and other information on student loans to students and graduates on the internet.

Bill Rammell: Students are currently able to access a range of student support information online. This includes information, advice and guidance on the support available and how to apply, the status of their applications, details of decisions on loans, grants and other payments and access to copies of correspondence sent. Customers can also change address and bank account details online, subject to verification steps.
	Following the publication of the report of end to end review of student finance delivery on 31 January 2006, I announced in a statement to the House on 3 July 2006, our plans to transform the student finance service. Key to this transformation is providing a modern, seamless, predominantly online service.
	The new service for students will deliver:
	Improved, fully online application process
	Enhanced online information, advice and guidance
	Full online self service functionality
	Graduates will also benefit from improvements, through a new repayment portal that will provide better information, advice and guidance, the facility to make additional repayments online and a repayment calculator that allows customers to calculate their current loan balance at any point during the tax year.
	There are currently no plans to provide online statements but this functionality may be considered as part of future enhancements to the service.
	These improvements will be phased in over three years from September 2008.

Universities: Business

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many universities were twinned with a business champion in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Bill Rammell: Information is not held centrally on how many universities might reasonably be said to be twinned with a business champion. However, links with business and other community partners are extensive across the higher education sector as a whole.
	The latest 'Higher Education—Business and Community Interaction' survey showed that, overall, HE institutions' income from these sources rose by 8 per cent. over the period 2004-05 to 2005-06. Higher education and businesses collaborate on research, consultancy, continuing professional development, and knowledge transfer.
	Increasingly, the demands of global competition require HE institutions to develop a range of links with business, and some are choosing to become explicitly 'business-facing'. Higher education's interaction with business generates and exchanges knowledge and so helps drive innovation in goods and services.
	We want to help create the conditions to promote increasingly beneficial collaborations with business, encouraging all HEIs to develop this as one of their strengths in ways consistent with their chosen missions.

Vocational Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of employers who participated in Train to Gain were not defined as hard to reach.

David Lammy: During the first 16 months of the Train to Gain operation, 52,730 employers participated in Train to Gain by working with a skills broker on an organisation needs analysis and agreeing what action to take forward as a result. 72 per cent. of those employers were defined as hard to reach, i.e. not accredited as an Investor in People and with no recorded investment at a publicly funded training provider.

Vocational Training: Standards

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what performance targets have been set for the Learning and Skills Council's National Employer Service.

David Lammy: The National Employer Service (NES) is a division within Learning and Skills Council that exists to support national multi-site private sector employers with more than 5,000 UK employees. NES helps employers to build their understanding of the public skills system so that it works for them. The NES currently has contracts with around 80 large employers and in 2007/08, the NES is expected to help engage 42,000 learners through Train to Gain and an average of 62,000 apprenticeships in learning. This is under review as we expand the NES's scope to engage with a greater number of large employers as set out in the recent Plan for Growth.

Higher Education: Overseas Students

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely cost to universities and colleges of  (a) becoming licensed to sponsor migrants and  (b) issuing certificates of sponsorship to migrants.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The proposed fee levels for sponsorship registration and for issuing a certificate of sponsorship to migrants will be set out in regulations before Parliament in the new year, including appropriate impact assessments to support our proposals.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Baluchistan: Capital Punishment

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Iranian authorities on the death sentence handed down to Mr. Yaqub Mehrnehad by the authorities in Baluchistan; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The EU presidency, on behalf of all EU member states, raised Mr. Mehrnehad's sentence with the Iranian authorities on 4 March. The EU called on Iran to commute Mr. Mehrnehad's sentence, to guarantee the security of all human rights defenders, and to ensure that they are given fair trials in accordance with international standards.

Civil Service Appeal Board

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of appeals by employees of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies were (i) heard and (ii) upheld by the Civil Service Appeal Board in each of the last 10 years; how much was awarded in compensation by the Board to each successful appellant in each year; what the reason was for each compensation award; how many appellants were reinstated by the Board in each year; and what the reason was for each (A) dismissal and (B) reinstatement.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) has records from 2004 onwards of appeals taken to the Civil Service Appeal Board (CSAB). CSAB records show a total of eight appeals from home civil servants in the FCO from 1997 to 2004.
	
		
			   Number 
			 April 1997-March 1998 0 
			 April 1998-March 1999 1 
			 April 1999-March 2000 0 
			 April 2000-March 2001 2 
			 April 2001-March 2002 4 
			 April 2002-March 2003 1 
			 April 2003-March 2004 0 
		
	
	Details of the outcome in each case are no longer available.
	From 2004 to March 2007, four appeals were lodged by FCO home civil servants to the CSAB:
	
		
			   Number 
			 April 2004-March 2005 1 
			 April 2005-March 2006 2 
			 April 2006-March 2007 1 
		
	
	Three of the appeals concerned dismissal on misconduct grounds. One was settled following conciliation. The other two were not upheld. The fourth appeal concerned unfair dismissal and was not upheld.
	The Diplomatic Service Appeal Board considers appeals from Diplomatic Service officers against dismissal. In 2007 two such appeals were considered. One was upheld and the other was not upheld.
	Due to the small number of cases involved, further requested details have not been provided to avoid identification of individuals.

Colombia: Borders

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation along Colombia's border with Ecuador and Venezuela; and what representations have been made to all three governments on the recent escalation in regional tension.

David Miliband: Following the events of 1 March, in separate discussions with Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela and other international partners, we expressed our concern about the growing tension and deployment of armed forces along Colombia's borders and encouraged all parties to show restraint. We also fully supported the European Union declaration of 5 March, which said:
	"The European Union is concerned about the growing tension and the deployment of armed forces between Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia. It urges all parties involved to show restraint and to avoid any further escalation of the current situation. The European Union encourages all countries involved to seek, through dialogue, a political solution."
	We welcome the outcome of the Rio Group summit in Santa Domingo on 7 March, which has diffused tensions between the Governments of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Together with other members of the Rio Group, they reiterated a commitment to peaceful co-operation in the region. We also welcome the start of a process to help resolve outstanding issues related to the border incident, through the Organisation of American States (OAS), including the commission which reported to OAS Foreign Ministers on 17 March.

Committee on the Grant of Honours Decorations and Medals

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedure is in place to appeal against decisions of the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals.

Meg Munn: The committee's role is to provide agreed interdepartmental advice to the Sovereign, so the question of an appeal does not arise.

Departmental Internet

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department will  (a) follow the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) guidelines and  (b) display ICRA's label on the websites for which it is responsible.

Meg Munn: The Government are committed to safety online for all users, including children. The Central Office for Information is preparing a new set of guidance for many aspects of the Government web estate and we will implement what they mandate.

Diego Garcia

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether passports and immigration documents for the personnel and aircraft involved in the rendition of two suspects through Diego Garcia in 2002 were presented to British Indian Ocean Territory imports and exports control officers on Diego Garcia; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Procedures on Diego Garcia dictate that all passport and immigration details of passengers disembarking are presented to Customs and Immigration officials on the island. The US authorities have confirmed that the two individuals rendered through Diego Garcia in 2002 did not disembark. Consequently, their details would not have been presented or recorded.

Diego Garcia: Rendition

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government have received representations from the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the alleged use of Diego Garcia by the United States for the purposes of rendition; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: On 5 March my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, spoke to Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, in the margins of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The Minister encouraged Mr. Nowak to provide the Government with any evidence he may have regarding allegations that detainees had been held on Diego Garcia between 2002 and 2003.

Iran

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether  (a) he and  (b) officials from his Department have held discussions with their EU counterparts on revising the 6 June 2006 E3+3 proposals to Iran; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: I held discussions with my E3+3 colleagues on 22 January where we agreed that following the vote on another sanctions resolution at the UN we would look at ways to present the 2006 offer once again to Iran, to make it clear that the offer was generous, wide-ranging and a very good deal for Iran. In our joint statement on 3 March, after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1803, we reconfirmed the proposals we presented to Iran in June 2006 and said that we were prepared to develop them further. Discussions on this will now be taken forward.

Iran: Inspections

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether detailed criteria have been agreed that would trigger the inspection of cargoes to and from Iran as stipulated in UN Security Council Resolution 1803 (2008) or whether this is a matter for the judgment of individual states.

David Miliband: UN Security Council resolution 1803 (2008) requires states to inspect the cargoes to and from Iran, of aircraft and vessels, at their airports and seaports, owned or operated by Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line, where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the aircraft or vessel is transporting embargoed goods. It is up to states to decide when they believe the criteria is met.

Iran: Nuclear Power

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the further concrete measures on exploring an overall strategy for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through negotiation, referred to in UN Security Council Resolution 1803 (2008), are expected to be formally presented to Iran as a revised version of the June 2006 proposals; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: My E3+3 colleagues and I agreed on 22 January that following the vote on another sanctions resolution at the UN, we would explore ways to present the 2006 offer again to Iran, to make it clear that the offer was still on the table. It is generous, wide-ranging and a very good deal for Iran. In the E3+3 statement on 3 March, after the adoption of UN Security Council resolution 1803, we reconfirmed the proposals we presented to Iran in June 2006 and said that we were prepared to develop them further. Work on this is now under way with our E3+3 partners.

Iran: Nuclear Power

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are for a meeting between representatives of the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany and Iranian nuclear negotiators to discuss further concrete measures on exploring an overall strategy of resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through negotiation, as referred to in UN Security Council Resolution 1803 (2008).

David Miliband: There are no such meetings scheduled at present. We have been clear with Iran that our offer of dialogue remains open and that Javier Solana will continue to make himself available for a meeting, on behalf of the E3+3, at any time when Iran is ready to discuss that offer and to comply with its international obligations.

Iraq Neighbour Conference

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1358W, on the Iraq Neighbour Conference, what progress has been made in the working groups on  (a) energy,  (b) security and  (c) refugees; and when each of these groups last met.

David Miliband: The working groups have each met once: the energy working group on 28 to 29 June 2007; the refugees working group on 26 July 2007 and the security working group on 8-9 August 2007. For details of these meetings, I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 3 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 1054-55W.

Iraq: Foreign Relations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2007,  Official Report, column 50W, on Iraq: foreign relations, what progress has been made in the establishment of a permanent UN secretariat in support of regional co-operation; and what the UK role within this secretariat is.

David Miliband: The Iraq Neighbours Conference in Istanbul on 4 November 2007 agreed that the Iraqi Government—with UN support—would form an ad-hoc support mechanism for the expanded neighbours process, to be based in Baghdad.
	Terms of reference for the support mechanism were jointly circulated to all expanded neighbours participants by the Government of Iraq and the UN in December 2007 and have since been adopted. The support mechanism has now been formed within the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the UN dedicating staff within its mission to provide assistance. The UK has no formal role within the mechanism.

Israel: Human Rights

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2008,  Official Report, column 2024, on Israel: human rights, what criteria are used in determining whether Israel's actions are compliant with human rights provisions in EU trade agreements.

Kim Howells: There are no formal criteria used by the EU Commission. The Commission draws on its own observers on the ground, non-governmental organisations, and member states' posts to determine the compliance of Israel's actions in accordance with Article 2 and in the context of Article 76 of the EU/Israel Association Agreement.
	I share, and frequently raise, many of my hon. Friend's concerns over Israeli actions. However, on balance, I support the Commission's assessment that Israel is not in breach of the terms of the agreement. As stressed in the response I gave to my hon. Friend on 29 February 2008,  Official Report, column 2024W, I remain strongly of the opinion that active engagement with Israel through the EU provides a valuable forum through which to continue to raise human rights concerns. In 2007 the EU-Israel human rights working group, established under the framework of the Association Agreement, provided the opportunity to discuss: inter alia minorities; respect for human rights including respect for religious freedom and belief; Israeli settlement expansion; administrative detention including individual cases; international humanitarian law; as well as questions related to the UN Human Rights Council; and thereby established a closer bilateral dialogue on these issues.
	We look forward to building on this dialogue at the next working group session on 15 April 2008.

Latin America: Foreign Relations

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the governments of Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia on the situation in their border areas.

Kim Howells: We have had contacts with representatives of the Ecuadorian, Colombian and Venezuelan governments since the events of 1 March. In these discussions, we have expressed our concern about the tension and deployment of armed forces along the Colombian border. We have urged all parties to show restraint, to avoid any further escalation of the situation, and to seek, through dialogue, a political solution.
	We welcome the outcome of the meeting of the Rio Group summit in Santa Domingo on 7 March, which has diffused tensions between the governments of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, who with other members of the Rio Group reiterated a commitment to peaceful co-operation in the region. We also welcome the initiation of a process through the Organisation of American States (OAS), including the commission which reported to OAS Foreign Ministers on 17 March.

Rendition

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to present to the US Administration the list of flights of concern in relation to the alleged rendition of suspects by the United States through UK territory, waters or airspace; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Officials in my Department are currently compiling a list of all the flights where we have been alerted to concerns regarding rendition through the UK or our Overseas Territories. Once this is ready we will be sending this list to the US Government and seeking their assurance that none of these flights were used for rendition purposes. Officials are currently working through the flights where concern has been raised and we are consulting with other relevant Government Departments, Overseas Posts and non-governmental organisations. The list will be presented to the US Government as soon as is consistent with a thorough search of our records.

Rendition

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many flights of concern have been identified in relation to the alleged rendition of suspects by the United States through UK territory, waters or airspace; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Officials in my Department are currently compiling a list of all the flights where we have been alerted to concerns regarding rendition through the UK or our Overseas Territories. Once this is ready we will be sending this list to the US Government and seeking their specific assurance that none of these flights were used for rendition purposes. I have also undertaken to publish the list in Parliament.

Rendition

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what safeguards there are to prevent future use of British territory for US extraordinary rendition flights.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement to the House on 21 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 547-48, that there has long been a regular exchange with the US authorities, in which we have set out that:
	we expect the US to seek permission to render detainees via UK territory and airspace, including our Overseas Territories;
	we will grant that permission only if we are satisfied that the rendition would accord with UK law and our international obligations; and
	we are fully aware of our obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture.
	Following the new information provided by the US regarding the two rendition flights via Diego Garcia, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to the US Secretary of State, Dr. Rice, on 20 February. She underlined the firm US understanding that there will be no rendition through the UK, UK airspace or our Overseas Territories without express British Government permission.

Simon Mann

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take in the week beginning 17 March to monitor the  (a) treatment and  (b) risk of torture of Mr. Simon Mann in Black Beach Prison, Equatorial Guinea.

Meg Munn: holding answer 14 March 2008
	Our consul from the British Deputy high commission in Lagos travelled to Malabo and visited Mr. Mann in prison on 12 February. Consular officials aim to visit Mr. Mann again soon, when they will discuss Mr. Mann's welfare with the authorities in Equatorial Guinea. We will continue to visit Mr. Mann in prison in line with our consular policy.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in establishing full operational capability for the UN-African Union force in Darfur; and what assessment he has made of the current capacity of the force to offer protection to civilians in the area.

David Miliband: The UN-African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) currently has approximately 10,500 personnel. We understand the Egyptian and Ethiopian battalions, and supporting units, will deploy by the end of May, taking UNAMID's strength up to 16,000. Full operational capability will be achieved when the force commander assesses he has sufficient troops and equipment at his disposal to conduct fully all the tasks described in the concept of operations.
	UNAMID is starting to improve security with increased patrols, including firewood patrols that allow internally displaced persons to gather fuel. Delays in generating capabilities and difficulties in deploying the mission, including lack of co-operation from the Government of Sudan, have impeded UNAMID's capacity to widen their area of influence. We are pressing the Government of Sudan and rebel groups to allow UNAMID full access and freedom of movement to improve the protection of civilians.

Uganda: Armed Conflict

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of an approach by the Ugandan government to the UN Security Council to suspend the International Criminal Court warrants for the arrest of leading members of the Lord's Resistance Army.

Meg Munn: We have received no reports that the Ugandan government has approached the UN Security Council to request suspension of the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrants against the leading members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). We note that in the peace agreement, the LRA leadership has asked the Ugandan government to request a deferral of the ICC warrants and establish national mechanisms to try those alleged to have committed crimes against humanity and war crimes as an alternative to the ICC. We believe that justice is an essential part of a sustainable peace and it is vital that those responsible for the terrible crimes committed during the conflict in northern Uganda are held to account. It is up to the Ugandan government to convince the ICC that any new national mechanisms are in line with the Rome Statute and are sufficient to allow the ICC to lift the warrants issued for the arrest of LRA leaders.

Yugoslavia: War Crimes

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress of the search for  (a) Radovan Karadzic and  (b) Ratko Mladic in connection with war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.

David Miliband: The chief responsibility for the detention and arrest of fugitive indictees Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic rests with the governments of Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Their progress in this regard is assessed by the Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
	The UK has given consistent support, both practical and political, to the work of ICTY. We remain committed to seeing all four outstanding ICTY indictees, including Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, arrested and brought to trial before the tribunal. The need for full co-operation with ICTY is a message we constantly deliver in the region, particularly to the authorities in Serbia who have a key role to play in this regard.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Attorney-General

Norman Lamb: To ask the Solicitor-General when the Attorney-General's Office intends to publish the results of its consultation on the role of the Attorney-General.

Vera Baird: The Government are considering all responses to the consultation and will publish their conclusions in due course.

Corruption

Norman Lamb: To ask the Solicitor-General how many requests the Attorney-General has received from the Serious Fraud Office for consent on overseas corruption cases in each of the last five years.

Vera Baird: The Attorney-General has received one such request for consent from the Serious Fraud Office for an overseas corruption case during 2007 in the last five years.

Corruption

Norman Lamb: To ask the Solicitor-General on how many overseas corruption cases being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office the Attorney-General has  (a) received briefings and  (b) given advice.

Vera Baird: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Attorney-General regularly receives briefings from the Director of the Serious Fraud Office on overseas corruption cases under investigation. The Director also regularly attends meetings with the Attorney-General where all overseas corruption cases are discussed, including those which may require the Attorney General's consent before prosecution.
	 (b) The Attorney-General has not given advice to the Director in any case.

NatWest: Enron

Michael Meacher: To ask the Solicitor-General what the reasons were for the decision not to prosecute the NatWest Three in the UK.

Vera Baird: In serious fraud cases it is common for allegedly criminal conduct to occur in more than one country. In such cases inevitably proceedings are commenced in one country rather than the other. In this case, investigations had begun in the USA and there had been no complaint by anyone in this country.
	When the Serious Fraud Office came to consider whether to investigate, it decided not to do so because the main evidence was in the USA (the co-conspirators); the conspiracy took place there; the alleged fraud could not have occurred without the complicity of the Enron executives; the American case was advanced and it was in the overall interests of justice for it to be dealt with by one court.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a rebalancing of responsibility between ISAF and the Afghan national security forces in respect of leadership and primacy in the security field is planned during the course of 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The long-term goal of the NATO-led ISAF mission is to hand over responsibility for security of the country to the Government of Afghanistan and Afghan security forces.
	There are plans to rebalance responsibility for the provision of security between ISAF and the Afghan National Security Forces during the course of 2008; however, I am withholding the details of these plans as their release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will hold discussions with his French counterpart on increasing France's military deployment to Afghanistan.

Des Browne: The forthcoming UK/France summit on 27 March, offers the next opportunity for discussion of Afghanistan, as well as other bilateral issues.

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for an international conference to review progress in the implementation of the Afghanistan Compact; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The forthcoming Paris conference in June is likely to include opportunities to review progress in the implementation of the Afghanistan Compact and reaffirm international and Afghan Government commitment to the compact.

Armed Forces

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to place in the Library responses to the Defence Internal Brief of 11 March 2008—Views invited for the Service Personnel Command Paper—either in full or redacted to protect individuals' confidentiality.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 14 March 2008
	It is our intention to publish a summary of all the contributions received during the consultation process alongside the Service Personnel Command Paper itself.

Armed Forces: Colchester

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of  (a) single living accommodation and  (b) service family accommodation units in (i) Colchester and (ii) Aldershot are in each standard for condition grade.

Derek Twigg: Where Service Families Accommodation (SFA) in Great Britain is assessed by Standard for Condition (SfC), a measure of the physical condition of a property, Single Living Accommodation (SLA) is assessed by Grade for Charge (GfC), an assessment of the physical condition of the accommodation and other factors such as location and proximity to amenities.
	The number and percentage of accommodation at Colchester and Aldershot at each SfC or GfC is as follows:
	
		
			Colchester  Aldershot 
			Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 SFA S1fC 657 59 1,103 66 
			  S2fC 434 39 571 34 
			  S3fC 22 2 5 <0 
			  S4fC 0 0 0 0 
			   
			 SLA Grade 1 1,767 65 421 15 
			  Grade 2 0 0 0 0 
			  Grade 3 0 0 0 0 
			  Grade 4 881 35 2,357 85 
		
	
	Significant work is taking place to improve SLA at Aldershot and Colchester. Aldershot Garrison is included as part of Project Allenby Connaught which will improve living conditions for thousands of soldiers around the Salisbury Plain Training Area and Aldershot. This will include the delivery of 2,600 new or improved SLA bed-spaces to G1fC at Aldershot by 2015.
	In Colchester, some 811 G1fC SLA bed-spaces will be delivered by June this year with plans to upgrade some 142 SFA properties to S1fC by 2011.

Armed Forces: Conditions of Employment

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Royal British Legion on the operation of the military covenant; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence has held regular discussions with the Royal British Legion (RBL) since the launch of its "Honour the Covenant" campaign in September 2007, covering a wide range of issues affecting the nation's responsibilities to its armed forces. Since 1997, the RBL accepts the Government have made a number of improvements but would like to see more done. The Government have taken a number of important steps to ensure that the nation meets its responsibilities towards its armed forces, veterans and their families, including improvements to compensation, healthcare, accommodation, and welfare support. The forthcoming Cross-Government Command Paper will review the current position and set out such further improvements as may be appropriate. The RBL is a member of the External Reference Group for the Command Paper.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British service personnel were serving in  (a) Iraq,  (b) Afghanistan,  (c) the United Kingdom and  (d) elsewhere at the latest date for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 17 March 2008
	The following table shows the number of UK Service personnel deployed on operations by location at 10 March 2008. The number of personnel in theatre will naturally fluctuate on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including leave (rest and recuperation), temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces and other factors.
	
		
			  Number of personnel deployed by location( 1) 
			  Location  Number 
			 Total 13,460 
			  of which:  
			 Afghanistan 7,600 
			 Iraq 3,800 
			 At Sea 710 
			 Qatar 410 
			 Cyprus 280 
			 Kuwait 260 
			 Oman 190 
			 Kosovo 130 
			 Bahrain 70 
			 Bosnia 10 
			 Other 30 
			 (1) Countries with 10 or more personnel are shown separately. Other countries with fewer than 10 personnel per country include Georgia, Nepal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia. Figures for the number of UK regular forces stationed in locations worldwide can be found in Tri-Service Publication 10 (TSP10) copies of which are available in the Library of the House; the latest available data are at 1 April 2007 and can also be found at: http://www.dasa.mod.uk/publications/tsp10/tsp10execsum.html

Armed Forces: European Union

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to ensure that British armed forces will not come under the command of  (a) the European Union and  (b) other European states' armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The decision to launch any EU military operation can be taken only by unanimity among member states. Whether to contribute British forces to any operation is a voluntary decision for the UK Government to take case by case.
	Any British forces contributing to an EU operation are likely, depending on the arrangements made for it, to come under the operational control of the Military Operation Commander, who may be a national of any EU member state and who would be chosen by the Council of Ministers of the European Union acting unanimously. The Lisbon Treaty will not change this position.
	In the same way, British forces contributing to a NATO operation are placed under the operational control of the NATO Military Operation Commander.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service family accommodation properties in England and Wales were identified as awaiting disposal or demolition in each year since 2002; and how much rent was paid to Annington Homes for those properties in each year.

Derek Twigg: The number of service family accommodation properties in England and Wales that have been identified for disposal or demolition, together with the rent paid for them to Annington Homes Ltd (AHL), in each year since 2002 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Non-AHL disposals  AHL disposal  Demolition  Rent paid to AHL  (£ million) 
			 2002-03 117 1,645 9 5.8 
			 2003-04 49 533 35 1.9 
			 2004-05 336 416 9 1.5 
			 2005-06 110 307 9 1.1 
			 2006-07 188 460 9 1.6 
			 2007-08 14 870 9 3.0

Armed Forces: Housing

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2550W, on armed forces: housing, what proportion of single living accommodation in each of the named countries is used only during operational deployment.

Derek Twigg: With the exception of the 6,119 single living accommodation (SLA) bed-spaces in the Falkland and Ascension Islands that are all used as accommodation for Service personnel on operational deployment, the Department does not count bed-spaces used in operational theatre and therefore were not included in my answer of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2550W.

Armed Forces: Housing

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional funding has been allocated in 2008 to improve military personnel accommodation in Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency.

Derek Twigg: No additional funding has been allocated for the improvement of Service living accommodation in the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency.

Armed Forces: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the evaluation of the post-operational stress management pilot will be  (a) completed and  (b) published.

Derek Twigg: There is no post-operational stress management pilot currently being undertaken.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many  (a) British service members and  (b) non-British service members, of each nationality, he expects to participate in Exercise Druid's Dance; and (i) when and (ii) where the exercise is expected to take place;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of Exercise Druid's Dance; and from which budgets these costs will be met.

Bob Ainsworth: Exercise Druid's Dance is the generic name given to each of a series of eight All Arms Battle Group collective training exercises which take place annually on the Salisbury plain training area.
	The number of military personnel involved per exercise will vary depending on the Army's force generation requirements. Information on the number of British service members and non-British service members, broken down by nationality, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I understand that the hon. Member is interested in one particular Druid's Dance exercise, which is due to take place between 28 April and 18 May this year and will serve a number of purposes including preparation for the contingency role of the European Union Battlegroup; 490 British and 70 Foreign and Commonwealth members of the British Army will be participating in this exercise.
	It is estimated that the cost of this specific exercise will be £1,770,239, of which, £1,752,628 is met from the Land Forces Top Level Budget and £17,611 is met from the Defence Equipment and Support Top Level Budget.

Armed Forces: Training

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many combined Territorial Army and Regular Army exercises took place in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: Territorial Army personnel routinely take part in Regular Army exercises in order to practice for their operational role and prepare for mobilisation. Closer integration between the Regular Army and TA is actively encouraged and an official pairing mechanism has been established between Regular and TA units to reinforce this. The specific information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Challenger 2 main battle tanks are in service.

Bob Ainsworth: There are 345 Challenger 2 main battle tanks currently in service.

AWE Aldermaston: Protest

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on the Aldermaston Easter protest.

Des Browne: The MOD recognises the democratic right of individuals to participate in lawful and peaceful protest activities.

Catering: Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's total expenditure was on messing and food allowance, as listed in his Department's resource account code hierarchy, in near cash terms, in each financial year since 2000-01.

Bob Ainsworth: The total resource costs against this resource account code (RAC) are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Messing and food allowance  (£ million) 
			 2000-01 4.5 
			 2001-02 4.6 
			 2002-03 5.0 
			 2003-04 4.3 
			 2004-05 4.2 
			 2005-06 5.4 
			 2006-07 n/a 
		
	
	Near cash expenditure is not separately identified in the final resource accounts or the centrally held supporting records. Total resource costs have therefore been provided; however it is unlikely that there are any non cash costs attributed to the expenditure items which would result in the near cash expenditure being different from the resource expenditure.
	The expenditure in 2006-07 is not available as a geographic allowance as it is currently included within the statistics, which in previous financial years was mapped to a different RAC. This is being reviewed.

Departmental Assets

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the receipts received on asset sales for disposed estates was kept by the Exchequer in each financial year since 2001.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence agrees targets for receipts in respect of the disposal of land and buildings with HM Treasury as part of the periodic spending reviews. Spending budgets in each financial year are agreed and set accordingly.
	From 2001 to 2007 all receipts, amounting to some £1.5 billion, deriving from the sale of land and buildings by MOD have been retained within the Defence budget.

Departmental Data Protection

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether confidential or personal information has been compromised through the loss of property from his Department since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: Other than the cases already in the public domain, as a result of the recent data loss, the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Departmental Manpower

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of his Department's budget was spent on personnel in each financial year since 2000-01.

Derek Twigg: The amount of resource (in cash terms) consumed as a proportion of the total yearly near cash outturn of the MOD since 2001-02 is set out in the following table. A proportion of personnel costs (for example some operational allowances) are recovered from the Treasury Reserve.
	
		
			  Financial year  MOD personnel expenditure as percentage of departmental near cash outturn 
			 2001-02 38 
			 2002-03 36 
			 2003-04 38 
			 2004-05 35 
			 2005-06 37 
			 2006-07 36

Departmental Property

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many residential properties his Department owns; how many of these are vacant; and how many of these have been vacant for longer than  (a) three,  (b) six and  (c) 12 months.

Derek Twigg: For the purpose of the answer, residential properties are considered to be Single Living Accommodation (SLA) and Service Families Accommodation (SFA). Although we do not centrally record that accommodation which is vacant, we do record that which is void (not in use for its intended purpose). Void stock includes accommodation being held for planned moves of Service Units, or awaiting planned upgrades, sale or release, modernisation or demolition.
	It is not possible to identify from the information centrally held all accommodation that has been void for longer than three, six and 12 months respectively.
	However, I can confirm that out of a total worldwide stock of 165,000 SLA bed-spaces and 71,000 SFA properties, the following were void at March 2007 and March 2008.
	
		
			  As at March:  SLA (bed spaces)  SFA (properties) 
			 2007 46,325 13,336 
			 2008 34,293 12,240 
		
	
	In addition, I can confirm that out of the 49,000 SFA in Great Britain, the following properties have been void for the following periods:
	
		
			  Period  Number of properties 
			 Between three months and six months 1,631 
			 Between six months and 12 months 1,975 
			 Over 12 months 2,913 
		
	
	The Department recognises that the number of voids is unacceptably high and work is in hand to reduce it. The progress we are making is demonstrated by the reduction in void SLA and SFA between March 2007 and March 2008.

EU Defence Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the European Union military staff has in certifying EU battlegroups.

Bob Ainsworth: The certification of European Union (EU) battlegroups is a national responsibility of the contributing member states, who undertake this certification according to agreed procedures. The EU military staff registers all certification information provided by member states and keeps the EU Military Committee informed of the certification process.

EU Defence Policy: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department is obliged to notify the European Union military staff of exercise rehearsal programmes for EU battlegroups.

Bob Ainsworth: European Union (EU) member states contributing to EU battlegroups are required to notify the EU military staff of the details of the battlegroup certification exercise and other significant training events and exercises.

Gordon Foxley

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken to recover money from Gordon Foxley.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	Following Mr. Gordon Foxley's conviction on 3 November 1993 of 12 counts of corruption, a confiscation order was made against him in the sum of £1,503,901.80.
	In May 1994, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) being the victim of the offences began civil proceedings against Mr. Foxley, his family members, the foreign arms companies and a company with which Mr. Foxley was connected.
	In February 1996, summary judgment was granted in favour of the MOD as against Mr. Foxley and his son, Paul Foxley, and both were made bankrupt. Between July 1996 and September 1997, the MOD settled their claims against the foreign arms companies.
	Notwithstanding Mr. Foxley's successful application to strike out Crown Prosecution Service and MOD proceedings to enforce the confiscation and bankruptcy orders, substantial recoveries have been made in respect of Mr. Foxley's offending. The settlements reached with the foreign arms companies amounted to £3,390,371. In addition, other sums of money have been recovered from various Foxley family sources amounting to about £800,000.00. This sum includes Mr. Foxley's share in the matrimonial home.

HMS Southampton: Deployment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future deployment of  (a) HMS Southampton and  (b) HMS Exeter; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I have nothing to add to the answer I gave on 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2557, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox).

Iraq: Ammunition

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of ammunition supplies for British forces in  (a) Basra and  (b) Helmand province.

Bob Ainsworth: Ammunition stocks for British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are assessed on a weekly basis and supplies are currently sufficient to meet the requirements in both theatres.

Iraq: Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Mastiffs were in service in southern Iraq in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: As the Prime Minister announced in his statement to the House on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 24, the Ministry of Defence has ordered a further 140 Mastiff patrol vehicles in addition to the 100 previously bought and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. I am withholding precise details of the numbers deployed to Iraq as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces who  (a) are awaiting deployment and  (b) have been deployed to active service have not been supplied with the Mk 6a ballistic helmet; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: holding answer 4 March 2008
	 Members of the UK armed forces are routinely issued with Mk 6A helmets prior to deployment to an operational theatre where the threat level requires enhanced ballistic protection: this includes both Iraq and Afghanistan. Sufficient additional stocks of Mk 6A helmets also exist in these operational theatres so that any individuals who have not previously been issued with this helmet can receive one on arrival.
	Our records do not show any instances where personnel were not supplied with the Mk 6A helmet when the operational circumstances required that they should have received one.

ISAF: Command and Control

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the latest unclassified International Security Assistance Force command and control structure.

Bob Ainsworth: There is no unclassified version of the International Security Assistance Force command and control structure; however an overview of the ISAF command structure, including the regional commands, is available on the ISAF website at:
	http://www.nato.int/isaf/structure/comstruc/index.html

National Recognition Study

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library responses to the National Recognition Study either in full or redacted to protect individuals' confidentiality.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The report on the National Recognition Study is still being prepared for submission to the Prime Minister. Any decision on publication of the report will be taken thereafter.

Royal Regiment of Scotland: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) inflow,  (b) outflow and  (c) voluntary outflow rate is of each battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Bob Ainsworth: No information is held on Intake, Outflow and Voluntary Outflow information for each battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The following figures are for the Scottish Division as a whole.
	The following table shows the rates of Other Ranks inflow, outflow and the Voluntary Outflow from the Scottish Division of the Infantry during 1 April 2006 to 28 February 2007. The Total Trained Regular Army Other Ranks Voluntary Outflow rate for the same period is 6.8 per cent.
	
		
			  Scottish Division  Financial Year 2006-07( 1)  (percentage) 
			 Intake 11.9 
			 Outflow 17.8 
			 Voluntary Outflow Rate 5.5 
			  Notes:  1. The Financial Year 2006-07 is for an 11 month period from 1 April 2006 to 28 February 2007 due to the introduction of the Joint Personnel Administration system.  2. Intake, outflow and voluntary outflow rates are calculated based on the number of intakes and exits as a percentage of the average trained strength of all other ranks during the period.  3. The intake figures include re-enlistments and rejoined reservists. 
		
	
	Officers are only allocated to a Regiment on Completion of their Commissioning Course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS).

Wind Power: Planning

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve the quality and timeliness of his Department's input to the planning process for wind farm applications.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) already seeks to provide an effective and responsive service to wind farm developers, including a pre-planning consultation service to reduce ongoing costs. We keep our processes under regular review to ensure that we provide a high quality service to those who consult us and are currently reviewing our consultation processes and the level of resources available. These will include additional radar experts and increased manpower in other areas.
	We are also considering how best to increase the use of information technology to make it easier for wind farm developers to consult the MOD.
	MOD fully supports the Government's renewable energy targets and will continue to work with other Government Departments and key stakeholders to address strategic wind energy issues and our processes for considering wind farm proposals.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to answer Question 168870, tabled by the hon. Member for North Devon on 22 November 2007, on service family accommodation.

Derek Twigg: I replied to the hon. Member today.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Active Places Website

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who is responsible for compiling the data on the Active Places website; and how much the website cost to maintain in 2007-08.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 14 March 2008
	Sport England collects and publishes details of sports facilities in England on the Active Places database. The data are updated by two organisations: Landmark for grass pitches; and the Leisure Database Company for all other facilities on the database.
	The budget for 2007-08 is £1.1 million which is being used to fund data maintenance, data acquisition, systems development and hosting.

Alcoholic Drinks: Licensing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government has taken to minimise the adverse effects of 24-hour drinking on businesses in Coventry city centre.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 12 March 2008
	No concerns have been raised with me or my Department specifically about the impact of the licensing reform on businesses in Coventry city centre.
	The first statistical bulletin on licences issued under the Licensing Act 2003 was published on 8 November 2007. This suggests that Coventry city licensing authority have granted a total of 814 premises licences of which 61 have 24 hour licences. Of these only five are pubs, bars or nightclubs.
	Under the Licensing Act 2003, local businesses in the vicinity of a licensed premises or a body representing those businesses can ask for the licence to be reviewed if the premises is having a negative impact on one or more of the four licensing objectives.

Arts: North West

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the North West Development Agency on support for creative industries in the north-west region.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 14 March 2008
	My Department has been in regular contact with the North West Development Agency in developing Creative Britain, our strategy for the creative industries.
	A key commitment in Creative Britain is the development, by the North West Development Agency and the South West Regional Development Agency, of pilot regional creative economy strategic frameworks.

Big Lottery Fund

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether  (a) the Big Lottery Fund and  (b) Sport England has plans to introduce a mentoring scheme similar to that proposed by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has issued policy directions to UK and England lottery distributors which set the broad framework within which they operate. Whether to offer a mentoring scheme is an operational matter which falls within the remit of individual distributors and is an issue for their consideration.

Convergence Think Tank

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1389W, on the Convergence Think Tank, what external bodies have been commissioned to carry out research for the Think Tank.

Andy Burnham: The Department has not yet commissioned any research from external bodies.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether consideration has been given to applying gender responsive budgeting to his Department's budget.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The UK Government are supportive of efforts to achieve gender equality and continue to work very closely with both the Women's National Commission and the Women's Budget Group on promoting gender equality within the UK. In 2004, HM Treasury undertook a pilot project on gender analysis of expenditure with the Women's Budget Group. The project demonstrated the value of gender analysis in some areas and identified what tools and expertise were necessary within government to carry out gender analysis, but that further work was needed before gender responsive budgeting could be implemented. In 2008, HM Treasury will be conducting further work that will determine whether it is prudent and feasible to disaggregate departmental expenditure statistics by gender. The DCMS Equality Scheme 2007-10 sets out the action which the Department is taking to promote gender equality. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the House Libraries.

Departmental Regulatory Impact Assessments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many regulatory impact assessments his Department has conducted in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the final regulatory impact assessments published between 1 January and 30 June 2007 can be found in Command Paper 7297, available at:
	<http://bre.berr.gov.uk/regulation/ria/regulatory_reporting/index.asp>.
	For DCMS, 13 have been listed.
	My Department is in the process of identifying the final regulatory impact assessments published between 1 July and 31 December 2007. From April 2008, all final impact assessments will be published on a central website.

Discrimination

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many claims for discrimination, based on  (a) sex,  (b) race and  (c) sexual orientation, were brought by members of his Department and settled (i) in and (ii) out of court in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There have been no claims for discrimination based on sex, race or sexual orientation brought against the Department in the last five years.

Exercise

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the cost to the UK economy of physical inactivity.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In 2002, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Strategy Unit jointly published Game Plan: a strategy for delivering Government's sport and physical activity objectives. This report estimates that the cost to the UK economy of physical inactivity is at least £2 billion.

Gambling: Licensing

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications there have been to the Gambling Commission from an operator seeking a remote operating licence only.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 14 March 2008
	At 13 March 2008, 156 operators have applied to the Gambling Commission for operating licences which allow them to provide remote gambling only.

Gaming: Licensing

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to permit an increase in the number of category B3 gaming machines in  (a) bingo halls and  (b) adult gaming centres.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We are currently considering representations that have been made to us by the main trade bodies which represent the bingo and arcades sectors—the Bingo Association and the British Amusement Catering Trades Association—for an increase in the number of category B3 machines that are permitted.
	In considering this issue, I will seek to balance the representations that have been made to me by the trade bodies with my overriding responsibility to protect the public from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
	I will make an announcement about how I intend to proceed in due course.

Grants: Publicity

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps  (a) the Big Lottery Fund,  (b) Sport England,  (c) the Arts Council England and  (d) the Heritage Lottery Fund takes to encourage the submission of funding bids in areas where funding has previously been awarded.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Every constituency has had at least 100 Lottery grants. Decisions on these matters are for Lottery distributors themselves to make. However, we have given them the powers to solicit applications where they see fit. We have also issued policy directions to UK and England Lottery distributors which require them to take into account certain matters when determining the purposes for which and to whom they distribute money. These include ensuring that all areas of the UK or England have access to the money distributed.

Lacrosse

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to promote and increase participation in lacrosse.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The English Lacrosse Association (ELA) has been awarded £1.26 million from Sport England between 2005-09 to support the delivery of its Whole Sport Plan.
	Sport England identified Lacrosse as a 'development' sport for investment in the 2005-09 Whole Sport Plan funding round, to support the grassroots development of the sport.
	The ELA has also received £44,333 to support delivery of the Step into Sport programme which is part of the Government's PE and Sport Strategy for Children and Young people.
	The ELA uses this funding to increase the number of accredited clubs in lacrosse as well as increasing the number of coaches and volunteers actively involved in the sport.

Lacrosse: Finance

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received on funding for the participation of the England Men's U19 Lacrosse Squad in the U19 Lacrosse World Championship in British Columbia in July 2008.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department has received a range of correspondence about this issue. DCMS channels its funding for sport through its non-departmental public bodies, including Sport England. Therefore, correspondents have been directed to Sport England for further advice about funding opportunities.
	We understand that the English Lacrosse Association has raised the issue of additional funding to support England lacrosse teams with Sport England, but has not made any formal application for funding to date. Any future application will be considered on its merits and against Sport England's published funding criteria.

Lacrosse: Finance

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding streams are available via sports organisations to support the England lacrosse team members.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The English Lacrosse Association is able to use funding from Sport England for its Whole Sport Plan 2005-09 to support English lacrosse team members, with 'International Success' being one of the Key Performance Indicators against which Sport England's investment in lacrosse is measured.

Licensing Laws: Fees and Charges

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what response his Department has made to the final report of the Independent Fees Review Panel chaired by Sir Les Elton.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government are considering their response to the Independent Licensing Fees Panel report and I expect to make a formal response shortly.

Licensing: Kent

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many licences to sell alcohol have been  (a) granted and  (b) renewed in North Kent in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Prior to the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003, data on the number of alcohol licences and certificates granted and renewed in England and Wales under the Licensing Act 1964 were collected by petty sessional divisions (magistrates court areas) on a triennial basis, in accordance with the three yearly cycle of licence renewals. The last available data in relation to the 1964 Act were published in 2004. These indicated that 172,167 premises and 8,274 registered clubs had their licences renewed or granted respectively in that year. It is not possible to break this number down regionally, but the number of licences granted or renewed in Kent was as follows:
	
		
			  Petty session division  Total number of on and off premises 
			 Canterbury and St. Augustine 431 
			 Channel 1,148 
			 Dartford and Gravesend 484 
			 Faversham and Sittingbourne 414 
			 Medway 690 
			 Mid Kent 611 
			 Thanet 553 
			 West Kent 1,047 
		
	
	The first Statistical Bulletin on Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment licences and certificates issued under the Licensing Act 2003, was published on the DCMS website on 8 November 2007 and shows the number of licences granted and in force as at 31 March 2007. The following table shows the number of licences and certificates granted in 2006-07 and the number of licences in force. It should be noted that the figures cover all premises licences and certificates issued under the 2003 Act and will include some that do not allow the sale of alcohol.
	Personal licences issued under the 2003 Act are renewed every 10 years. There is no renewal process for premises licences and certificates issued under the 2003 Act.
	
		
			   Premises licences and club premises certificates  Personal licences 
			  Licensing authority  Number granted in 2006-07  All licences( 1)  Alcohol licences( 1)  Number granted in 2006-07  Total number in force as at 31 March 2007 
			 Ashford 28 342 321 146 692 
			 Canterbury 89 664 588 165 981 
			 Dartford 15 294 (2)71 125 571 
			 Dover 37 386 313 124 818 
			 Gravesham 71 314 243 207 588 
			 Maidstone 40 493 443 174 866 
			 Medway (3)— 785 (2)207 556 1,350 
			 Sevenoaks 22 407 342 89 230 
			 Shepway 22 422 320 198 717 
			 Swale (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— 
			 Thanet 62 579 492 137 1,027 
			 Tonbridge and Malling 14 376 331 117 699 
			 Tunbridge Wells 31 362 293 115 658 
			 (1) Number in force as at 31 March 2007 (2) Some of licensing authorities double counted the number of premises with an alcohol licence when providing a figure for different types of alcohol permission (eg "on-sales only" or "both on and off sales"). Amendments were made to these so that the total number of alcohol licensed premises was no more than the total number of premised licences, but some LAs may still have over-reported the number of premises licences and certificates with authorised sale of alcohol. (3) Data not supplied

Licensing: Public Order Offences

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance he has issued to local authorities on using powers under the Licensing Act 2003 to reduce public disorder.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government issued revised guidance under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 on 28 June 2007. The guidance can be viewed on:
	<http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/597B72E2-61BC-44AD-98D2-6BC7208FD740/0/RevisedGuidanceJune2007.pdf>
	The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport also announced on 4 March 2008 that the Government would work with police and local authorities to help them better identify potential problem premises and areas. We will also encourage them to make full use of the powers in the 2003 Act to tackle premises that are a source of disorder.

Listed Buildings

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions he chose not to accept English Heritage's advice on the listing of buildings in each of the last three years; and on how many occasions this was because he did not assess the building as having sufficient architectural or historic interest to merit listing.

Margaret Hodge: No central record is maintained, either by the Department or English Heritage, to show the number of occasions on which advice provided by English Heritage on listing applications is overruled. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	All listing decisions are based on an assessment of whether a building meets the listing criteria of special architectural or historic interest.

Museums and Galleries

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1178-9W, on museums and galleries, how many people each percentage figure represents.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Attendance at museums and galleries
	
		
			  Attendance at museums and galleries 
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			  Priority group  Percentage  Thousand  Percentage  Thousand 
			 Black and minority ethnic 35.5 1,390 33.6 1,320 
			 Limiting disability 32.1 2,750 31.1 2,630 
			 Lower socio-economic 28.3 4,460 28.2 4,500 
			  
			 All adults 42.3 16,770 41.5 16,550 
			  Note: Population figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000.

Obesity

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's public service agreement targets were for combating obesity in  (a) 1998,  (b) 2000,  (c) 2002,  (d) 2004 and  (e) 2007; and what the (i) baselines and (ii) targets set were in each case.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In July 2004, a Public Service Agreement (PSA) target was set for the first time to "halt the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 by 2010, in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole".
	This PSA was co-owned by the Department of Health, the Department for Education and Skills (now the Department for Children, Schools and Families) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
	With progress against the target measured through the Health Survey for England data on obesity prevalence in children aged between two and 10, the baseline established for the three-year period 2002-04 was 14.9 per cent.
	Last year's comprehensive spending review set a new PSA to "improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people", which is co-owned by the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
	As part of this new PSA, there is the commitment to reduce the rate of increase in obesity among children under 11 as a first step towards a long-term national ambition by 2020 to reduce the proportion of overweight and obese children to 2000 levels in the context of tackling obesity across the population.
	The baseline figure is still in development and will be confirmed by the Department of Health by April this year.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport remains a key partner in delivery of this commitment.

Performing Arts

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Arts Council on encouraging theatre, opera and ballet companies to schedule more tours in the regions of England.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 14 March 2008
	Touring by regularly funded organisations is part of on-going discussions between the Department and Arts Council England as we take forward the recommendations of "Supporting Excellence in the Arts—From Measurement to Judgment" by Sir Brian McMaster.
	Arts Council England supports the widest possible touring of work and in 2006-07 a total of 14,926 performances were given by 130 touring performing arts organisations.
	Arts Council England's distribution policy covers both touring and digital distribution. Priorities for distribution for 2007-11 are to:
	"Publish and implement a detailed distribution strategy to enable more people to access the arts in the places, context and formats of their choice. We will do this through consultation with artists, arts organisations, the public and partners in the commercial and subsidised creative industries."
	I am arranging for copies of "Supporting Excellence in the Arts—From Measurement to Judgment" to be placed in the House Libraries.

Playing Fields

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 10-11, on playing fields, 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the concerns raised about the adequacy of playing fields protection, with particular reference to the five year rule on consultation;
	(2)  whether he has subsequently met Sport England to discuss concerns raised about the protection currently provided to playing fields, with specific reference to the five-year rule on consultation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We have tough protections in place to protect playing fields and planning guidance is clear that no playing field needed by the local community should be lost. This is supported by the facts. In 2005-06 (the latest year for which we have figures) Sport England reported that 97 per cent. of all planning applications affecting playing fields represented either an improvement or no change to sporting provision.
	However, we are not complacent and continue to keep the effectiveness of current arrangements under review. I am aware of concerns from some organisations that having a time limit acts as an incentive for developers to fence off playing field land from public use in the hope of gaining future planning permission. As such, I have asked Sport England to investigate and assess any issues surrounding the five year rule on consultation. Following this my officials and Sport England will be meeting their colleagues in Communities and Local Government shortly to discuss the issue.

Playing Fields

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how his Department defines a playing field.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A playing field is defined in The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) Order 1996 as the whole of a site that encompasses at least one playing pitch. A pitch is defined as a delineated area, which together with any run off area, is of 0.4 hectares or more, and which is used for association football, American football, rugby, cricket, hockey, lacrosse, rounders, baseball, softball, Australian football, Gaelic football, shinty, hurling, polo or cycle polo.

Playing Fields

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has met  (a) Sport England and  (b) Fields in Trust to discuss the effectiveness of legislation for the protection of playing fields in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I met Fields in Trust (FIT) in October 2007 and we had a wide-ranging discussion about playing fields issues. I have regular meetings with Sport England and discussions cover all aspects of their remit, including playing fields. In addition, my officials have met Sport England and FIT to discuss, inter alia, the current legislation for the protection of playing fields.

Playing Fields: Planning Permission

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many planning applications were accepted for development of playing fields where the site was too small or the wrong shape to accommodate a playing pitch in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is Sport England's policy to object to any planning application that will result in the loss of a playing field, unless applicants can prove it represents a better deal for sport and meets one of five exceptions as defined in Sport England's Planning Policy Statement—A Sporting Future for the Playing Fields of England, (available on their website at http://www.sportengland.org). Exception E3 is defined as:
	The proposed development affects only land incapable of forming, or forming part of, a playing pitch, and does not result in the loss of or inability to make use of any playing pitch (including the maintenance of adequate safety margins), a reduction in the size of the playing areas of any playing pitch or the loss of any other sporting/ancillary facilities on the site.
	Reason: The development of minor parts of a site (e.g. frontage land, steep slopes unsuitable for pitches) can provide a useful source of capital for sports organisations to develop their activities without detriment to the facilities. In order to avoid incremental loss of land, Sport England will use the nature and extent of provision available at any time during 1996 as a base for all assessments.
	The table shows planning applications accepted for development on playing fields in each of the last five years that fall within this exceptions policy.
	
		
			   Cases where the site was too small or wrong shape to accommodate a playing pitch (REF E3) 
			 2001-02 201 
			 2002-03 257 
			 2003-04 314 
			 2004-05 245 
			 2005-06 314

Public Libraries

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Communities and Local Government on library services.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 14 March 2008
	I have had no discussions with the Department for Communities and Local Government about library services.

Sport: Community Development

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding grassroots community sport has received from  (a) the national lottery and  (b) the public purse in each year since 1997; and how much it is projected to receive in each year of the comprehensive spending review period to 2010-11.

Andy Burnham: Financial support for community sport from public sources is primarily channelled through Sport England which dispenses Exchequer and lottery funds for sport. The tables show how much  (a) lottery and  (b) Exchequer funding has been spent through Sport England on grassroots community sport (including School Sport through the PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESCCL) strategy) in each year since 1997:
	
		
			  £000 
			   Lottery  Exchequer (including School Sport) 
			 1997-98 189,237 26,024 
			 1998-99 320,738 24,187 
			 1999-2000 145,607 27,894 
			 2000-01 326,521 33,293 
			 2001-02 469,534 43,472 
			 2002-03 239,628 84,311 
			 2003-04 160,416 31 ,442 
			 2004-05 188,364 61,229 
			 2005-06 158,592 58,725 
			 2006-07 126,221 77,499 
			 2007-08 (Forecast) 123,369 89,476 
		
	
	These lottery and Exchequer figures include funding invested through national governing bodies whole and one sport plans, some of which supports talent and elite activities, as this could be separated out only at disproportionate cost.
	In addition the following funding has been provided through the BIG Lottery Fund:
	
		
			   £000 
			   BIG Lottery 
			 2002-03 4,501 
			 2003-04 23,957 
			 2004-05 60,862 
			 2005-06 197,755 
			 2006-07 175,423 
		
	
	On funding arising from the comprehensive spending review, Sport England has been allocated the following Exchequer funding:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2008-09 133.163 
			 2009-10 130.163 
			 2010-11 128.163 
		
	
	On lottery funding, it is estimated that Sport England will receive the following
	income:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2008-09 141.0 
			 2009-10 119.0 
			 2010-11 119.0 
		
	
	All of this funding will be committed primarily on community and grassroots sports projects.

Swimming Pools

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many swimming pool complexes in England there are; and how many of them have a diving pool.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 10 March 2008
	Sport England collects and publishes details of sports facilities in England on the Active Places database. There are currently over 70,000 sports facilities recorded on the database and the data are reviewed and updated on a regular basis. To ensure that robust year on year data comparisons about sports facilities can be made, Sport England records formally the overall position each year in November.
	The Active Places database records that, as at November 2007, there were 4,614 swimming pools on 3,461 sites in England. Of these, 168 pools have diving facilities. Their status is recorded as follows:
	Open—143;
	Under construction—one;
	Temporarily closed for refurbishment or seasonal reasons—24.
	Of the 168 pools, 58 have purpose-built diving pools, sometimes referred to as diving 'tanks' or 'pits'.
	I understand that Sport England has written to the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent recently providing a detailed breakdown of all the diving facilities recorded on the Active Places database.

Swimming Pools

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department has produced guidelines on  (a) the provision of public swimming pools per head of population and  (b) the size of new public swimming pools.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The information is as follows:
	 (a) This Department does not produce a national standard for public swimming per head of population. Government planning advice (planning policy guidance note 17 (PPG 17)—Open Space, Sport and Recreation) has moved away from a national standards approach in planning for community facilities. Local authorities are now encouraged to develop local standards to meet their locally identified needs through the production of local sport and recreation strategies. Assessing Needs and Opportunities: a companion guide to PPG 17 provides further guidance to local authorities in undertaking local needs assessments.
	 (b) This Department does not suggest a standard for the size of new public swimming pools. General details on pool design can be found on Sport England's website at:
	http://www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/resource_downloads/facilities_guidance.htm
	Further guidelines are available from the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and Fédération Internationale de Natation (Fina) dependent on level of performance.

Television: Licences

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many monochrome television licences were issued in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The figures for each year are as follows:
	
		
			   Number of monochrome television licences 
			 2002-03 93,000 
			 2003-04 74,000 
			 2004-05 58,000 
			 2005-06 49,000 
			 2006-07 40,400

Tourism

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to encourage overseas tourists to visit destinations outside London.

Margaret Hodge: My Department has provided VisitBritain with funding of £49.9 million in 2007-08 to promote Britain as a whole as an attractive place to visit. The Department's funding agreement with VisitBritain includes a target that, of the additional expenditure by inbound visitors generated by VisitBritain, a specified percentage should be achieved outside London. For 2005-06, the target was 55 per cent. and VisitBritain exceeded this by achieving a regional spread of 61 per cent. For 2006-07, the target was 54 per cent. and VisitBritain achieved 57 per cent.
	My Department also supports the Mayor of London in the delivery of the Greater London Authority's statutory tourism duties. These include the duty to encourage people from outside the United Kingdom to visit the United Kingdom by way of Greater London.

Tourism: Coastal Areas

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to market seaside resorts as holiday destinations.

Margaret Hodge: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has provided VisitBritain with funding of £49.9 million in 2007-08 to promote Britain as an attractive place to visit. Within VisitBritain, VisitEngland promotes England to the domestic market. VisitBritain and VisitEngland are aware of the importance of the coast and seaside resorts to British tourism: for example, the 'English Rose' TV campaign featured coastal scenes. Other campaigns (which are themed, rather than geographical) feature seaside resorts, such as 'Family Fun!', 'Rural Escapes' and 'TasteEngland'. A recent promotional supplement in  The Times featured Holiday Parks on the coast. VisitBritain's websites, such as visitbritain.com and enjoyengland.com, feature seaside towns extensively and provide destination guides, and VisitBritain works with seaside resorts to encourage positive press coverage.
	The promotion of seaside resorts is not limited to VisitBritain. Regional Development Agencies and local authorities also promote seaside resorts within their areas.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Dawn McFeeley

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if the Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency (CSA) and the Minister responsible for the CSA will examine the handling of the case of the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire's constituent, Mrs. Dawn McFeeley.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 11 March 2008
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 18 March 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if the Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency (CSA) and the Minister responsible for the CSA will examine the handling of the case of the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire's constituent Mrs Dawn McFeeley.
	As details about individual cases are confidential, I have written to you separately about this case.

Child Support Agency

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases being dealt with by the Child Support Agency were classed as pending at the latest date for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 7 March 2008
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 18 March 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the chief executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases being dealt with by the Child Support Agency were classed as pending at the latest date for which figures are available.
	The Agency does not have a classification of cases 'pending' we have interpreted your question as relating to uncleared applications.
	The number of uncleared applications across the two schemes has almost halved since the Agency's Operational Improvement Plan was launched in April 2006. In December 2007 there were a total of 151,200 uncleared cases; this is the lowest number of uncleared cases since records began.
	Additional information on uncleared cases can be found in table 2.1 of the December 2007 Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics (QSS), available in the House of Commons Library or online at:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/csa.asp
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Child Support Agency: Staff

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff the Child Support Agency employed in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 7 March 2008
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the chief executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff the Child Support Agency employed in each o the last five years.
	The table below shows the average number employed by the Agency in each of the last five years as published in the Child Support Agency Annual Reports and Accounts.
	
		
			  Financial year  Average number of full-time equivalents employed 
			 2002-03 10,287 
			 2003-04 10,215 
			 2004-05 10,188 
			 2005-06 10,432 
			 2006-07 11,386 
		
	
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress his Department has made in its zero-based budget review under the comprehensive spending review.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Annex pertaining to my Department in meeting the aspirations of the British people: the 2007 pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review (CM 7227).
	Details of how the Department plans to live within its comprehensive spending review settlement is contained within its three-year business plan 2008-11, published on 28 February 2008.
	Copies of the plan have been placed in the Library of the House, or can be viewed electronically at the following address:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2008/3yrplan/

Departmental Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in his Department have been able to work from home in the last 12 months.

Anne McGuire: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has a home working policy that enables employees to work from home when it is appropriate to do so. Employees are able to work from home either permanently on a contractual basis, or occasionally on an ad hoc basis.
	The Department introduced a new resource management (RM) personnel computer system incrementally from November 2006, being fully implemented by April 2007. Since roll-out of the RM system in April 2007 no data have been collated on the volumes of employees who are classed as contractual home workers.
	Managers may exercise discretion to authorise employees to work from home, on an ad hoc basis, and may do so for a variety of reasons. By their nature the numbers cannot be quantified and statistical data have never been collected about ad hoc home working arrangements.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his Department's personal digital assistants have been  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in each of the last five years; and what the value of those items was.

Stephen Timms: The following table shows the numbers of personal digital assistants (PDAs) issued to departmental staff and were reported as stolen, lost, or missing (presumed to be stolen) in each of the last five years. The records do not differentiate between those items which were reported as lost, stolen or missing, respectively.
	
		
			   PDAs 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 19 
		
	
	The Department does not own any personal digital assistants; these are leased from a service provider and the value of the items is not recorded by the Department.

Departmental Official Residences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many ministerial residences were available to his Department's Ministers in each of the last 10 years.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson), on 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 688W.

Departmental Pensions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of staff in his Department were making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions in each of the last two years.

Anne McGuire: The total staff with AVC's at 1 March 2007 was 360 (0.28 per cent. of DWP total staff).
	The total staff with AVC's at 1 March 2008 was 351 (0.27 per cent. of DWP total staff).

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 1 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 2367-8W, on departments: public participation, how many citizens' juries his Department has held in the last six months; and for what purposes they were held.

Anne McGuire: DWP has not yet facilitated any citizens' juries. We do however conduct a wide range of citizen engagement activities across the Department; these are designed to ensure that citizens' needs are placed at the forefront of improving service delivery and in policy development.

Disabled: Equal Opportunities

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government take to monitor compliance with equal opportunities legislation in the employment of disabled people by television and broadcasting companies and makers of television programmes.

Anne McGuire: My Department undertakes regular research on how employers and service providers are meeting their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The latest research report, ("Organisations' Responses to the Disability Discrimination Act" - DWP Research Report 410(1)), which was published in 2007, provided data on whether organisations had employed disabled people; broken down by the size of employer and whether the organisations were from the public, private or voluntary sector. It did not, however, monitor specific types of industry, such as television and broadcasting. The research shows that, overall, 47 per cent. of all the establishments surveyed reported having employed at least one disabled member of staff within the past 10 years, and 34 per cent. said that they employed at least one disabled person at the time of the survey.
	The Labour Force Survey provides quarterly statistics on the employment rates of disabled people, and provides a breakdown by industry sector. For example, the survey for the period October to December 2007 shows that, of disabled people in work, 7.64 per cent. were employed in the 'Transport, Storage and Communication' sector. However, data for this sector cannot be broken down further by individual types of communication, such as television and broadcasting.
	The broadcasting regulatory regime includes obligations on radio and television broadcasters to promote equal opportunities in employment on the basis of gender, race and disability. The broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, monitors and reports on broadcasters' compliance with the obligations.
	(1) This report may be accessed at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2007-2008/rrep410.pdf

Employment Level

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the target employment rates of  (a) women and  (b) older workers were for each year since 1997; and whether these targets were met.

Stephen Timms: We do not have a target employment rate for women. However, we do know that female employment is over 70 per cent. and the trend has been upwards for some time. As a result the UK has already exceeded the EU target for getting female employment above 60 per cent. by 2010.
	The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not set numerical targets for the employment rate of older people. The public service agreement (PSA) targets set in the 2002 and 2004 comprehensive spending reviews were, taking account of the economic cycle, to increase the employment rate of people aged 50 and over, and significantly reduce the difference between their employment rate and the overall rate.
	The 2002 PSA target covered people aged 50 to state pension age. The 2004 target extended the age range to people aged 50 to 69 to take account of, and encourage, working past state pension age.
	The employment rates for older people are set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Employment rates for people aged 50 to state pension age and 16 to state pension age spring 2003 to spring 2006 (2002 PSA) 
			  Percentage 
			   Employment rate 50 to state pension age  Employment rate 16 to state pension age 
			 Baseline spring 2003 70.0 74.9 
			 Spring 2006 70.9 74.6 
			  Source:  Labour Force Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  Employment rates for people aged 50 to 69 and 16 to state pension age quarter 2 2005 to quarter 2 2008 (2004 PSA) 
			  Percentage 
			   Employment rate 50 to 69  Employment rate 16 to State Pension Age 
			 Baseline quarter 2 2005 54.6 74.9 
			 Quarter 2 2007 55.5 74.3 
			 Quarter 2 2008 n/a n/a 
			  Source:  Labour Force Survey 
		
	
	Interim statistics from quarter 2 2007 indicate that the 2004 PSA target is on course to be met.
	In addition, the European Council has agreed a target for increasing the average EU employment rate for older men and women (aged 55 to 64) to 50 per cent. by 2010. The UK has already met this target with an employment rate of 57.4 per cent. for this age group in 2006.

Housing Benefit

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward proposals to abolish the single room rent.

James Plaskitt: We have no plans to abolish the single room rent, which is designed to ensure that the level of housing benefit for single young people is based on the size and type of accommodation that they would typically occupy and, importantly, be able to afford.

Incapacity Benefit: Dorset

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what average length of time elapsed between the date of application and date of determination of applications for incapacity benefit in Dorset in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what average length of time Dorset residents in receipt of incapacity benefit had to wait for a personal capability assessment in each of the last three years.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 18 March 2008:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your questions about the average length of time between the date of application and date of determination for Incapacity Benefit claims in Dorset in each of the last three years and the average length of time Dorset residents in receipt of Incapacity Benefit have had to wait before being able to receive a Personal Capability Assessment in the last three years. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The figures for the Average Actual Clearance Time (AACT), for Incapacity Benefit claims in Dorset for the last three years are in the table.
	
		
			  Dorset Incapacity Benefit AACT 
			   Days  Target (days) 
			 Year ending March 2006 49.41 18 
			 Year ending March 2007 16.25 18 
			 Year to January 2008 11. 05 18 
		
	
	We are unable to provide information about the average length of time Dorset residents in receipt of Incapacity Benefit have had to wait before receiving a Personal Capability Assessment in the last three years because Personal Capability Assessments are triggered at different times during the life of an Incapacity Benefit claim depending on the nature of the person's incapacity.
	I hope you find this useful.

Jobcentres: Telephone Services

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many incidents of Jobcentre 0845 telephone system failure have occurred in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what mechanisms his Department has in place to inform callers of contact alternatives when a Jobcentre's telephony service fails to connect to an operator.

Anne McGuire: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 18 March 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking how many incidents of Jobcentre 0845 telephone system failure have occurred in the last 12 months and what mechanisms are in place to inform callers of contact alternatives when a jobcentre's telephony service fails to connect to an operator. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	There have been no failures of the 0845 telephone system in the last 12 months. On limited occasions we have experienced minor technical problems causing telephony difficulties. These are problems that impact on one site and not the whole network.
	Jobcentre Plus Contact Centres are currently answering over 94% of calls offered and are consistently delivering a good level of service to customers.
	Customers calling a standalone Contact Centre (i.e. not operating within a virtual environment) whose call can not be connected would hear an emergency message which informs them that there is a problem, and asks them to call back later. Our Network Management Team is immediately notified and they ensure that calls are re-routed from the Contact Centre with the temporary problem to other Contact Centres. When the customer calls again the call would be answered.
	From June 2008 all Contact Centre sites will be operating within a Virtual Environment. In the event of any telephony problems calls are automatically diverted and answered by another site.
	Customers who need to call a Benefit Delivery Centre, instead of a Contact Centre, and are not connected to an operator will receive a message advising them that all our lines are busy and asking them to call back later. The message goes on to give the switchboard opening times.

Pension Credit: Expenditure

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the distribution by household income quintile of the expenditure arising from pension credit in each year since its introduction.

Mike O'Brien: Information on the expenditure on pension credit by equivalised income quintile on an after-housing cost basis is set out in the following table for available years. These figures are rounded to the nearest £50 million.
	
		
			  Expenditure on pension credit by equivalised income quintile across all individuals, 2004-05 to 2005-06 
			  £ million, after housing costs 
			   Bottom quintile  Second quintile  Middle quintile  Fourth quintile  Top quintile  Total 
			 2004-05 1,200 2,150 1,500 1,050 150 5,971 
			 2005-06 1,150 2,450 1,450 1,150 200 6,426 
			  Notes:  1. Pension credit was introduced in October 2003. This means data is available only for 2004-05 and 2005-06.  2. All figures are shown in nominal terms (i.e. not adjusted for inflation).  3. The information shown is for Great Britain.  4. Shares of benefit expenditure by quintile according to the Family Resources Survey have been applied to administrative data to derive a split by quintile. Administrative data totals are available to the nearest million pounds, while information based on survey data is presented rounded to the nearest £50 million.  5. The Family Resources Survey is known to undercount receipt of certain benefits. This methodology assumes that this undercount is spread proportionally across quintiles. For example, if 30 per cent. of expenditure is in a certain quintile, this assumes 30 per cent. of any undercount is also in that quintile.  6. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication "Households Below Average Income" series.  7. The quintiles are derived using OECD equivalisation factors. 
		
	
	The relatively low level of expenditure in the bottom quintile is partly explained by the low proportion of pensioners in that quintile, with only 15 per cent. of pensioners in the bottom quintile of incomes across all individuals. Many pensioners are moved out of this quintile by pension credit and other benefits, so expenditure in the lowest quintile is expected to be relatively low.

Pensioners

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners lived in the United Kingdom in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by income quintile.

Mike O'Brien: Information regarding the income distribution of individuals is available in "Households Below Average Income 1994/95-2005/06 (Revised)", a copy of which is available in the Library.
	Latest information relates to 2005-06. The number of pensioners by quintile of the net income after housing costs income distribution is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of pensioners in each quintile of the income distribution, measured after housing costs 
			   Number ( m illion) 
			 Bottom quintile 1.6 
			 Second quintile 3.2 
			 Third quintile 2.5 
			 Fourth quintile 2.0 
			 Top quintile 1.5 
			 All pensioners 10.8 
			  Notes: 1. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication "Households Below Average Income" (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. The Family Resources Survey does not include pensioners living in communal establishments, such as care homes and nursing homes. 3. A pensioner is defined as an individual over state pension age. 4. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 5. The Table shows numbers in millions rounded to the nearest 100,000.  Source: Family Resources Survey 2005/06.

Social Security: Data Protection

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures he has put in place to prevent information stored on the social security database being transferred without authorisation to representatives of the media in the last two years.

Stephen Timms: The Department is required to follow the Data Protection Act in the way it handles personal data, in particular the Seventh Principle which places requirements on organisations to ensure that
	'appropriate technical and organisational measures are taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data'.
	Transferring information from any of the Department's databases to a third party without authority is prohibited by the Department's rules. The Department has in place an extensive range of measures in order to comply with the Data Protection Act.

State Retirement Pensions: Inflation

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of linking the basic state pension to the rate of inflation with effect from 2009; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the average increase in the value of the basic state pension following its linkage to the rate of inflation in each of the next three years.

Mike O'Brien: The Government currently have a commitment to annually increase the basic state pension by 2.5 per cent. or the retail prices index (RPI), whichever is higher. During the next Parliament we will re-link the basic state pension to average earnings. Our objective, subject to affordability and the fiscal position, is to do this in 2012, but in any event at the latest by the end of the next Parliament.
	The standard rate of basic state pension for the current financial year 2007-08 is £87.30. In 2008-09 it will increase in line with the RPI to £90.70.
	The estimated level of DWP expenditure on contributory basic state pension is set to rise from £47.2 billion in 2007-08 to £49.9 billion in 2008-09, £52.7 billion in 2009-10 and £54.8 billion in 2010-11 (in cash terms).
	 Notes:
	1. The standard rates of basic state pension given in the previous paragraph are rounded to the nearest five pence.
	2. Contributory basic state pension expenditure refers to Great Britain and overseas cases; figures supplied are consistent with the Budget 2008 report.

Welfare to Work: Finance

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what proportion of the resource departmental expenditure limit will be allocated to his Department's welfare to work programmes for each of the years of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review period;
	(2)  what the total estimated expenditure incurred by his Department was on welfare to work programmes in the year 2006-07;
	(3)  how much  (a) was spent and  (b) is projected to be spent on contracted employment programmes for (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08, (iii) 2008-09, (iv) 2009-10 and (v) 2010-11.

Stephen Timms: Employment Programme spend in 2006-07 was £952(1) million. Employment Programme spend in 2007-08 is forecast to be around £1,026 million.
	Our recently published 'Three Year Business Plan 2008-11', provides figures for planned expenditure on Employment Programmes in CSR 07.
	(1) Source: Jobcentre Plus Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07.
	
		
			  Planned expenditure on Department for Work and Pensions Employment Programmes 
			   Expenditure (£ million)  Proportion of DEL expenditure ( percentage ) 
			 2008-09 1,351 17 
			 2009-10 1,376 17 
			 2010-11 1,381 18 
		
	
	We anticipate that up to 70 per cent. of this expenditure will be contracted to voluntary and private sector organisations.

Winter Fuel Payments: Greater London

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received a winter fuel payment in  (a) Richmond Park constituency,  (b) the Royal borough of Kingston-upon-Thames and  (c) Richmond-upon-Thames borough in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: The information is in the following table. We expect the numbers to be similar for winter 2007-08.
	
		
			   Winter fuel payments made in winter 2006-07 
			 Richmond Park constituency 18,380 
			 Royal borough of Kingston-upon-Thames 24,210 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames borough 30,090 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.  Source:  Information directorate 100 per cent. data.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Abuse: Telephone Services

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the volume of calls to helplines funded by his Department following the news reporting of past events at Haut de La Garenne; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of capacity to meet demand.

Kevin Brennan: The Department closely monitors volumes and subjects of calls received to its helpline. To date there has not been an increase in the volume of calls made to the Department's helpline as a result of the news reporting of past events at Haut de La Garenne. The helpline operates a flexible resourcing system which enables capacity to be quickly increased when required. I believe this to be adequate to meet demand.

After School Clubs: Morecambe and Lunesdale

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to encourage the development of breakfast clubs in schools in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.

Beverley Hughes: Providing access to activities before school, including breakfast clubs, is a part of the extended schools core offer. We are committed to all schools providing access to the core offer of extended services by 2010, with at least half of all primary and a third of secondary schools doing so by September 2008.
	The core offer comprises a varied menu of activities in primary and secondary schools; high quality child care 8 am to 6 pm 48 weeks a year in primary schools; parenting support; swift and easy access to a wide range of specialist support services such as health and social care; and wider community access to ICT, sports and arts facilities, including adult learning.
	The Training and Development Agency works closely with local authorities and schools to help them deliver a range of services and activities beyond the school day. They also support ContinYou to develop a range of initiatives that have promoted, improved and measured the impact of breakfast clubs. This includes running a national Breakfast Club Award scheme, conducting research into breakfast club provision, producing guides and resources for breakfast club staff, and setting up the only UK website dedicated to supporting breakfast club development.

Children: Autism

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of special educational needs co-ordinators have specialist training in supporting children with autism; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Given the range of continuing professional development undertaken by special educational needs co-ordinators, it is not practicable to collect and record centrally specialist training undertaken in relation to children with autism. We are funding the Autism Education Trust which aims to improve autism provision and promote effective practice and training in meeting autistic children's needs.
	The Department is working with the Training and Development Agency for Schools on the development of a national framework for accrediting newly appointed special educational needs co-ordinators in schools. We envisage that national training arrangements will require knowledge of the main types of SEN, but it is too early to comment on the precise shape and nature of the arrangements; further consultation and development work is needed.

Children: Autism

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children in mainstream education were autistic at the latest date for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: Information from the School Census shows that, in January 2007 in England, there were 18,820 pupils with autistic spectrum disorder in maintained primary schools (0.5 per cent. of those on roll in maintained primary schools) and 11,760 such pupils in maintained secondary schools (0.4 per cent. of those on roll in maintained secondary schools). These figures refer to those pupils at school action plus and with a statement of special educational needs who have autistic spectrum disorder as their primary need. They exclude pupils in general hospital schools and dually registered pupils.

Children: Day Care

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assistance his Department makes available to single parents to help with the costs of child care.

Beverley Hughes: This Government recognise that child care costs are a serious matter for some families including lone parents, which is why we are doing more than ever before to make good quality child care and early education accessible and affordable.
	We are investing £3 billion per year to support free early education, so all three and four-year-olds, irrespective of the employment status of their parents, can benefit from 12.5 hours of free early years provision for 38 weeks per year. This increases to 15 hours by 2010 and will be delivered more flexibly to meet families' needs. In addition, we announced in the Children's Plan an additional £100 million to pilot a free entitlement for 20,000 of our most disadvantaged two-year-olds.
	We provide substantial help (totalling over £3 million a day) through the tax credit system, in providing up to 80 per cent. of child care costs—helping nearly 430,000 families.
	Beginning in September 2008, £75 million has been made available over three years, so that 50,000 workless families can benefit from free childcare, allowing parents to access training and move into work.
	In addition, Jobcentre Plus have a range of funding available for costs of child care including funds specifically for lone parents, under the new deal for lone parents programme.
	The Budget increased the commitment to child care by announcing additional pilots to support new approaches to child care, building on good practice from the additional child care support provided by the £33 million London Childcare Affordability Programme. In addition, the Government will also pilot new child development grants of £200 in 10 local authority areas, payable where parents take up their child care places and have contact with their local Children's Centre.
	The DCSF "affordable childcare" campaign aims to make parents much more aware of the range of provision in their areas and the support available to make child care more affordable. Specific strands of work have been developed for lone parents, which have received good feedback and high response rates. In addition, the budget announced a pilot to place HM Revenue and Customs advisers in children's centres to provide help with claims for the child care element of the working tax credit, and keeping their awards up to date.

Children: Forced Marriage

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to identify, monitor and protect children vulnerable to potential forced marriage; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what specific guidance his Department has in place for informing and working with  (a) the police,  (b) the Home Office,  (c) local social service departments and  (d) other relevant bodies when schools suspect pupils are vulnerable to offences associated with surrounding forced marriage; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what arrangements social services departments make to inform  (a) the police and  (b) relevant schools about the identities of children in care identified as being vulnerable to forced marriage;
	(4)  how many children which his Department have assessed as vulnerable to offences associated with forced marriage have gone missing from care in each of the last five years;
	(5)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of pupils missing from school rolls who may be vulnerable to offences associated with forced marriage; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Child abuse is completely unacceptable. We are determined to address all types of abuse and harm to children including forced marriage, domestic violence, child trafficking, and others. All professionals working with or who come into contact with children, including those working in health or education, should be aware of how to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns, including signs of possible abuse or neglect. If they have reason to believe that a child is at risk from harm as a result of a potential forced marriage, they should take action to follow up their concern, involving other agencies as required. This should take place for any child at risk of abuse.
	Guidance for relevant organisations and professionals is set out in "What To Do If You're Worried a Child Is Being Abused" (2006), and in "Working Together to Safeguard Children" (2006). "Working Together" is statutory guidance aimed at all individuals and organisations that have responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and sets out the detailed processes that must be followed where there is cause for concern about a child's welfare. This contains specific guidance on forced marriage.
	This Government have created statutory Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) to co-ordinate what local bodies do to safeguard children and to ensure that they are working effectively together. LSCBs draw up local procedures for how agencies, including education, children's social care, and the police, work together. These procedures often contain specific, detailed sections on identifying and responding to particular types of harm to children, such as forced marriage.
	The Children Act 2004 also gave a range of statutory agencies a legal duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Statutory guidance, "Making arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under section 11 of the Children Act 2004", was issued in July 2005 and updated in March 2007. This is aimed at the police, hospitals, prisons and others covered by the requirement saying what they should do to make sure children are safe.
	The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) and my Department produced practical guidance for education professionals, "Dealing with Cases of Forced Marriage" in 2005. My Department is currently working with the FMU to revise this guidance and put it onto a statutory footing in the autumn, following a period of public consultation.
	The Department has no role in assessing the vulnerability of individual children—local authorities have the statutory function to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who may be in need, including looked after children. This includes minimising the risk of children going missing from care, keeping detailed records when children do go missing, and taking steps to address the reasons why an individual child might go missing.
	National figures showing the overall numbers of children who went missing from their care placements for more than 24 hours are published at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000741/index.shtml.
	All looked after children have a detailed care plan, informed by a full assessment of their needs under the assessment framework for children in need and their families. This assessment includes all the factors that are relevant to safeguarding the child and promoting their welfare, and the resulting care plan sets out the information that needs to be shared with other agencies in order to keep the child safe.
	Statistics on children missing from education are not collected nationally. We introduced a new statutory duty in February 2007 for local authorities to put robust systems in place to identify any child not receiving a suitable education, and provided guidance on how to implement this duty. I have written to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector to ask Ofsted to provide their view of how well this new duty is being implemented.

Children: Protection

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans his Department has to include further guidance to local authorities on cases involving children who have been groomed in 'Working Together to Safeguard Children'.

Kevin Brennan: Guidance on safeguarding children from sexual exploitation, which is currently being drafted, will include information about children who have been groomed. The guidance will be issued as supplementary guidance to 'Working Together to Safeguard Children'.

Children's Centres: Ashford

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children's centres are open in Ashford; and how many places are available at such centres.

Beverley Hughes: As of 17 March there are two designated Sure Start Children's Centres in Ashford with a further four planned for designation by the end of March 2008.
	Children's centres do not offer a set number of places but it is expected that on average a children's centre will serve a community with about 800 children under five-years-old.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what system is used to govern IP address usage in his Department.

Kevin Brennan: The Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) utilises industry standard technology and CESG approved processes for managing all IP addresses used on both the internet and on the Department's secure, internal network.
	All internet accesses are performed using one of two permanently assigned IP addresses.
	All DCSF owned internet based websites have fixed permanent IP addresses that are manually assigned when the site is created.
	Inside the Department all computers using the DCSF network are allocated IP addresses using dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP). The vast majority of these addresses are generated on demand and are allocated to a device for a maximum period of five days. There are a small number of specialist computers for which we used fixed IP addresses. This is common practice within large organisations.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether consideration has been given to applying gender responsive budgeting to his Department's budget.

Kevin Brennan: The UK Government are supportive of efforts to achieve gender equality and continues to work very closely with both the Women's National Commission and the Women's Budget Group on promoting gender equality within the UK. In 2004, HM Treasury undertook a pilot project on gender analysis of expenditure with the Women's Budget Group. The project demonstrated the value of gender analysis in some areas and identified what tools and expertise were necessary within government to carry out gender analysis, but that further work was needed before gender responsive budgeting could be implemented. In 2008, HM Treasury will be conducting further work that will determine whether it is prudent and feasible to disaggregate Departmental expenditure statistics by gender.
	The Department's Single Equality Scheme (SES) sets out our commitments for tackling inequality and discrimination, including those to address gender equality. The SES can be accessed here:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/des/index.shtml

Educational Psychology

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of educational psychologists required to fulfil the objectives of the Children's Plan.

Kevin Brennan: As I explained in an earlier reply to question 174595, on 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 412W, educational psychologists are employed by local authorities, and it is for those authorities to determine how many to employ in light of their assessment of local needs and available resources.

Families: Disadvantaged

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding  (a) has been made available and  (b) is anticipated for the implementation of the proposals in the report Think Family: improving the life chances of families at risk.

Beverley Hughes: Department for Children, Schools and Families is working on a number of initiatives which will be informed by the Cabinet Office report Think Family: Improving life chances for families at risk. This includes further development of Family Intervention Projects, expansion of Family Nurse Partnerships and expansion of family learning. The Department has specifically made available a total of £16 million funding for implementation of Family Pathfinders and Extended Family Pathfinders for Young Carers as set out in Think Family. This funding has been made available for three years from 2008 to 2011 and will support the testing and development of the "Think Family" model on the ground.
	The Social Exclusion Task Force is also driving this agenda forward with commitments from other Government Departments which are set out in the report.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the difference has been in GCSE performance in inner London local authority areas and the rest of England since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information has been placed in the Library.
	The time series provided gives proportion of students achieving 5 GCSE A*-C grades or equivalent and 5 GCSE A*-C grades or equivalent, including English and Mathematics, broken down by local authority.

Pre-School Education: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people claimed free nursery places in Enfield in each of the last 10 years.

Beverley Hughes: Information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2 ) filled by three and four-year-olds . L ocal authority: Enfield—position in January each year 
			   Three-year-olds  Four-year olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total  three  year  olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total  four  year  olds 
			 1998 1,100 n/a 1,100 n/a n/a (5,6)3,400 
			 1999 1,200 n/a 1,200 n/a n/a (5,6)3,400 
			 2000 1,200 (7)0 1,200 n/a n/a (5,6)3,700 
			 2001 1,200 (7)1,000 2,300 n/a n/a (5,6)3,500 
			 2002 1,300 (7)930 2,200 3,100 (5)560 3,600 
			 2003 1,200 (7)1,100 2,400 3,100 (8)610 3,700 
			 2004 1,300 (9)1,400 2,700 2,900 (10)640 3,500 
			 2005 1,400 (9)1,400 2,800 3,100 (10)490 3,600 
			 2006 1,300 (9)1,500 2,800 3,000 (10)520 3,600 
			 2007 1,400 (9)1,600 2,900 3,100 (10)580 3,700 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) For the years 1997-2001, four year old sub national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. (9) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (10) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four year olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 19/2007 "Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2007", available on my Department's website:
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Primary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what deadlines have been set for each local authority for submitting primary capital programme strategies following the departmental guidance of 6 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: All local authorities have been invited to submit an agreed primary strategy for change to the Department by 16 June 2008.

Pupil Exclusions: Alcoholic Drinks

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school pupils received a (i) permanent and (ii) fixed-term exclusion for an alcohol-related offence in each year since 2001, broken down by age of pupil.

Kevin Brennan: Only two years of data relating to the reason for exclusion are currently available. The first year for which information on the reason for exclusion is available relates to the 2003-04 academic year. Information on exclusions during the 2006-07 academic year is expected to be available in June 2008.
	The numbers of permanent and fixed period exclusions by reason are published annually by the Department in the Statistical First Release 'DCSF: Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools and Exclusion Appeals in England', the latest of which can be accessed at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgatewav/DB/SFR/s000733/index.shtml.
	There are 12 categories describing the various reasons for exclusion, one of which relates to involvement with drugs and alcohol. The available information is provided in the tables. A further breakdown of these figures by age could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  Maintained primary, secondary and special schools( 1,2) : Number and percentage of permanent and fixed period exclusions by reason of exclusion England, 2003-04 and 2004-05 
			   Drug and alcohol related exclusions 
			   Number of permanent exclusions( 3)  Percentage of all permanent exclusions( 4,5)  Number of fixed period exclusions  Percentage of all fixed period exclusions( 3,5) 
			 2003-04 610 6 12,250 4 
			 2004-05 470 5 11,100 3 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes maintained special schools. Excludes non-maintained special schools. (3) The number of exclusions by reason expressed as a percentage of the total number of exclusions. (4) The distribution of exclusions by reason has been derived from Termly Exclusions Survey and applied to the number of permanent exclusions as confirmed by LEAs as part of the Annual Schools Census data checking exercise.  Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census and Termly Exclusions Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools(1,2) : Number and percentage of permanent and fixed period exclusions by reason for exclusion, England, 2005-06 
			   Drug and alcohol related exclusions 
			   Number of permanent exclusions( 3)  Percentage of all permanent exclusions( 3,4)  Number of fixed period exclusions  Percentage of all fixed period exclusion( 4) 
			 2005-06 450 6 8,360 2 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) For the 2005-06 school year, information on the reason for exclusion was collected via the School Census for the first time for secondary schools only (the Termly Exclusions Survey has discontinued). For exclusions during 2006-07, information on the reason for exclusion will also be collected from primary and special schools. (3) Estimates based on incomplete pupil level data. (4) The number of exclusions by reason expressed as a percentage of the total number of exclusions.  Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Pupils: Hay Fever

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by his Department on the number of pupils affected by hay fever at (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has not commissioned or evaluated any research on the number of pupils with hay fever at primary or secondary schools.

Schools: Sports

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  whether he has made an estimate of what proportion of the 14 per cent. of children who do not receive two hours PE and school sport are female;
	(2)  what percentage of  (a) girls at girls-only schools,  (b) boys at boys-only schools,  (c) girls at mixed schools and  (d) boys at mixed schools took part in two hours or more of high quality PE and school sport each week;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of the two hours school sport that 86 per cent. of children take part in took place  (a) within curriculum time and  (b) out of school hours;
	(4)  what percentage of pupils participated in at least two hours of PE and school sport in the  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07 school years.

Kevin Brennan: The annual PE and School Sport Survey was introduced in 2003/04 and collects data relating to participation in PE and school sport. Over the last four years the percentage of pupils who participated in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport in a typical week is as follows:
	
		
			   Pupils (percentage) 
			 2003/04 62 
			 2004/05 69 
			 2005/06 80 
			 2006/07 86 
		
	
	In 2006/07, 70 per cent. of the pupils received two hours of curriculum PE. The remaining 16 per cent. of pupils participated in a mixture of curriculum PE and additional out of hours school sport to meet the two hours.
	The annual PE and School Sport Survey collects data relating to PE and School Sport at a school, rather than pupil level. The 2006/07 survey found that 86 per cent. of pupils at boys only schools were participating in at least two hours high quality PE and school sport a week. The figures for pupils at girls only schools was 65 per cent.

Schools: Transport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many school walking bus schemes there are in England;
	(2)  how many schools in England have received public funds to help develop or implement walking bus schemes, broken down by local authority area.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	1,918 schools in England have received Department for Transport funding for 2007-08 and up to two subsequent years to enable them to set up and sustain, or extend, a walking bus scheme. Prior to that there were an estimated 700 walking buses in England. A further 1,335 schools received funding for other initiatives to increase walking to school. We are currently reviewing entitlement to second-year funding. A breakdown of the 1,918 schools by local authority is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Schools awarded funding to enable them to set up and sustain a walking bus by local authority 
			  Local authority  Number of schools 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2 
			 Barnet 7 
			 Barnsley 3 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 4 
			 Bedfordshire 13 
			 Bexley 2 
			 Birmingham 36 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 7 
			 Blackpool 2 
			 Bolton 13 
			 Bournemouth — 
			 Bracknell Forest — 
			 Bradford 17 
			 Brent 9 
			 Brighton and Hove 5 
			 Bristol City of 9 
			 Bromley 2 
			 Buckinghamshire 15 
			 Bury 11 
			 Calderdale 27 
			 Cambridgeshire 17 
			 Camden — 
			 Cheshire 16 
			 City of London 1 
			 Cornwall 21 
			 Coventry 10 
			 Croydon 5 
			 Cumbria 29 
			 Darlington 5 
			 Derby 9 
			 Derbyshire 13 
			 Devon 64 
			 Doncaster 8 
			 Dorset 6 
			 Dudley 12 
			 Durham 17 
			 Ealing 2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 14 
			 East Sussex 48 
			 Enfield 2 
			 Essex 37 
			 Gateshead 7 
			 Gloucestershire 13 
			 Greenwich 2 
			 Hackney 4 
			 Halton 4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3 
			 Hampshire 43 
			 Haringey 6 
			 Harrow 7 
			 Hartlepool 4 
			 Havering 3 
			 Herefordshire 13 
			 Hertfordshire 72 
			 Hillingdon 2 
			 Hounslow 1 
			 Isle of Wight 2 
			 Isles of Scilly — 
			 Islington 5 
			 Kensington and Chelsea — 
			 Kent 63 
			 Kingston upon Hull City of 4 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1 
			 Kirklees 9 
			 Knowsley 14 
			 Lambeth 10 
			 Lancashire 45 
			 Leeds 43 
			 Leicester 5 
			 Leicestershire 27 
			 Lewisham 11 
			 Lincolnshire 30 
			 Liverpool 12 
			 Luton 6 
			 Manchester 22 
			 Medway 18 
			 Merton — 
			 Middlesbrough — 
			 Milton Keynes 2 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne — 
			 Newham 4 
			 Norfolk 19 
			 North East Lincolnshire 3 
			 North Lincolnshire 4 
			 North Somerset 10 
			 North Tyneside 1 
			 North Yorkshire 45 
			 Northamptonshire 16 
			 Northumberland 8 
			 Nottingham 5 
			 Nottinghamshire 32 
			 Oldham 8 
			 Oxfordshire 16 
			 Peterborough 5 
			 Plymouth 18 
			 Poole 5 
			 Portsmouth 1 
			 Reading — 
			 Redbridge 2 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 7 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2 
			 Rochdale 14 
			 Rotherham 11 
			 Rutland 1 
			 Salford 13 
			 Sandwell 12 
			 Sefton 21 
			 Sheffield 49 
			 Shropshire 22 
			 Slough 19 
			 Solihull 19 
			 Somerset 17 
			 South Gloucestershire 5 
			 South Tyneside 2 
			 Southampton 6 
			 Southend-on-Sea 28 
			 Southwark 2 
			 St. Helens 6 
			 Staffordshire 50 
			 Stockport 10 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 3 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 9 
			 Suffolk 22 
			 Sunderland 1 
			 Surrey 36 
			 Sutton 6 
			 Swindon 7 
			 Tameside 9 
			 Telford and Wrekin 13 
			 Thurrock 3 
			 Torbay 15 
			 Tower Hamlets 2 
			 Trafford 7 
			 Wakefield 17 
			 Walsall 10 
			 Waltham Forest 1 
			 Wandsworth 2 
			 Warrington 9 
			 Warwickshire 12 
			 West Berkshire 15 
			 West Sussex 71 
			 Westminster — 
			 Wigan 9 
			 Wiltshire 21 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4 
			 Wirral 17 
			 Wokingham 1 
			 Wolverhampton 7 
			 Worcestershire 30 
			 York 8

Secondary Education: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the key stage 3 results were for each London secondary school in 2007; and what the percentage change on results in 2006 was in each case, broken down by type of school and the classification of the school.

Jim Knight: The national 2007 Key Stage 3 results were published on 27 February 2008. The attached table contains Key Stage 3 level 5+ results for English, maths and science for secondary maintained mainstream schools in London.

Special Educational Needs

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on statementing children with special needs.

Kevin Brennan: Under the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a duty, where necessary, to assess children's special educational needs (SEN) and draw up SEN statements. The Government provide statutory guidance in the SEN code of practice to help local authorities fulfil that duty. The Government expect every child who needs a statement to have their SEN met will receive one. Our SEN strategy 'Removing Barriers to Achievement' set out a programme to improve SEN provision in schools with the result that more children can have their special educational needs met fully without requiring a statement. However, the Government have maintained parents' rights, under the Education Act 1996, to request a statutory assessment of their children's SEN, with a view to statements being drawn up, and to appeal refusals to assess and statement to the SEN and Disability Tribunal.

Young People: Crime Prevention

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of youth inclusion support panels and youth inclusion panels in preventing crime.

Beverley Hughes: An evaluation by the University of Newcastle, published in October 2007, concluded that YISPs improved the mental health and school results of the young participants, and making them less likely to get into trouble.
	The independent evaluation of phase 1 of the Youth Inclusion Programme (2000-03), carried out Morgan Harris Burrows, Consultants, found that after young people's engagement on the programme the majority of the core group of young people were being arrested less frequently, and for less serious offences. The Phase 2 evaluation 2004-06 is due to be published in April this year.
	The University of York's Prevention Cohort Study, which is looking at a sample of young people who are receiving services from YJB funded prevention programmes, has delivered its interim progress report to the Youth Justice Board but is not due to present its final report until 2010.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Community Champions Scheme: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the number of organisations which have been in receipt of Community Champions funding who will not receive any similar funding from the financial year 2008-09 onwards; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	Community Champions Fund support is provided to individuals, not organisations. It is delivered through the nine Government offices (GOs) in England. Each GO is allocated a budget according to the number of long-term unemployed (six months or more) 18 to 65-year-olds in the region. The GOs deliver the funding through locally contracted intermediary organisations. These promote the programme, support and receive applications, in conjunction with the GOs undertake selection, and administer accounts for individual payments. Up to 15 per cent. of the allocated budget can be drawn on by the intermediaries to administer the fund.

Voluntary Organisations: Learning Disability

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps his Department is taking to support third sector organisations which provide support services for users with serious learning disabilities.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department of Health supports such third sector bodies in a number of ways. Funding is given to voluntary sector organisations through the section 64 Grants scheme. There has been significant funding from the valuing people budget for advocacy including advocacy for people with high learning disability support needs.
	In some very specific areas, Government Departments are already providing funding for advocacy, for example, in order to build capacity in learning disability focused and older people's services and to meet legislative commitments.
	Funding has been provided to some third sector organisations to support provision of homes for people coming out of the national health service campus accommodation for people with learning disabilities, which the Government are committed to close by the end of the decade. The Department is leading work to build the capacity of user-led organisations of disabled people, including those with learning disabilities, family and informal carers and other people who use support. The aim is to promote independent living with a range of services being provided by user-led organisations.

JUSTICE

Antisocial Behaviour

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times  (a) antisocial behaviour orders,  (b) acceptable behaviour contracts,  (c) warnings,  (d) individual support plans,  (e) action plan orders,  (f) child safety orders,  (g) referral orders,  (h) parenting orders,  (i) parenting contracts,  (j) local child curfew schemes,  (k) dispersal powers,  (l) fixed penalty notices for disorderly behaviour,  (m) detention and training orders,  (n) seizure of vehicles used antisocially,  (o) closure of licensed premises,  (p) confiscation of alcohol from young people and  (q) designated public places orders have been used in each (i) local authority and (ii) police authority area, broken down by basic command unit, in each region of England and Wales in each year since the introduction of the powers.

Maria Eagle: The information requested that is available has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Information on the number of acceptable behaviour contracts are not centrally held by my Department. Information on the number of Child Safety Orders issued are not collected centrally. This order only applies to children under 10 years of age. It can be applied to a child who has committed an offence, has breached a Child Curfew or has caused harassment, distress or alarm to others.
	No local child curfew scheme has yet been set up under the powers which were provided by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and Sections 48 and 49 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.
	Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 enables the police to seize a vehicle they reasonably believe is being driven in a way that both contravenes s3 or 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and is causing or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance. Information on the number of vehicles seized by the police under this provision is not collected centrally.
	Information on the closure of licensed premises is the province of the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS). They have told me that they do not hold information on every individual local authority area in England and Wales.
	No information is currently held centrally by the DCMS concerning closure notices and closure orders made under sections 160 or 169A of the Licensing Act 2003; under section 40 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003; or under sections 19 and 21 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.
	However information is available on the number of closures made by the police under section 161 of the Licensing Act 2003. There were 44 closure orders made by senior police officers between April 2006 and March 2007 based on returns from 85 per cent of licensing authorities.
	A small scale Confiscation of Alcohol Campaign took place between 8 October—5 November (with particular focus on the school half term holiday, Halloween and bonfire night). 23 police Basic Command Units took part in the campaign with over 3,700 litres of alcohol confiscated.
	Designated public places orders are the responsibility of the Home Office and they have informed me they do not collect information centrally on how Designated Public Place Order (DPPO) areas are enforced by the police. For example, the number of PNDs issued; prosecutions or numbers of individuals who comply with a police constable's request to refrain from consuming alcohol.
	The Home Office have been notified of 545 DPPOs introduced since they came into force on 1 September 2001.

Bail

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many defendants on bail between pleading guilty or being found guilty and sentence subsequently failed to attend court for sentencing in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) Crown Court and  (b) magistrates' court.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only by contacting each court and manually collating at a disproportionate cost.

Council Tax: Liability Orders

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many committal hearings were held in magistrates' courts for non-payment of council tax in each of the last two years for which information is available, broken down by  (a) region and  (b) local authority area;
	(2)  how many liability orders were issued by magistrates' courts in each of the last two years for which information is available, broken down by  (a) region and  (b) local authority area; and what their value was in each year.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided by contacting each magistrates court and manually collating at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress his Department has made in its zero-based budget review under the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the annex pertaining to my Department in "Meeting the aspirations of the British people: the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review" (Cm 7227).
	The Ministry of Justice has a target to deliver at least 3 per cent. value for money savings each year and a 5 per cent. reduction in administration budgets each year, and work is currently ongoing to ensure that the Department establishes efficiency measures to achieve these. Results of savings measures across the organisation will be published through the Value for Money programme throughout the CSR period.

Departmental Equality

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who has lead responsibility for diversity issues in his Department.

Michael Wills: I am the Minister with lead responsibility for departmental equalities and diversity issues. However, policy issues are considered in conjunction with my ministerial colleagues where these relate to their areas of responsibility, for example in relation to the courts or the prison service.
	In addition my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor (Mr. Straw) is supported in his drive to achieve greater diversity in the judiciary and legal professions by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Bridget Prentice).
	The Permanent Secretary, supported by the Departmental Corporate Management Board, is responsible for ensuring that the Department is compliant with the duties on it as a public body under the equalities legislation.
	There is a strong commitment in the Department to delivering on the Civil Service 10 Point Plan, which aims to improve the delivery of services for everyone in society through achieving a truly diverse civil service workforce at all levels. We are keen to be an employer of choice, attracting applicants from all sections of society and providing for all our staff opportunities to maximise their potential.

Departmental Equality

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how he will ensure that his Department's policy on diversity is implemented at local level in both the probation and prison services.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service has recently developed its own draft equality and diversity policy, which is due to be published shortly, and which reinforces its duties as an employer, commissioner and provider of services. An Equality and Diversity Taskforce is in place with the remit to monitor delivery of the equality and diversity action plan, which includes implementation of the policy in prisons and probation areas.
	Her Majesty's Prison Service has published a separate race equality scheme, and updates the action plan on an annual basis. Action in prisons in relation to race equality is routinely monitored and is subject to regular audit.

Departmental Redundancies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1711-2W, on departmental redundancies, what the cost of redundancies in the Prison Service was in the 12 months preceding  (a) 30 June 2004,  (b) 30 June 2005 and  (c) 30 June 2006.

Maria Eagle: There have been no centrally run involuntary redundancy schemes. Individual cases would be managed locally and there is no requirement to report this information to the Prison Service Headquarters. To gather this data would require approaching all Prison Service establishments.

Departmental Security

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many security passes of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its departmental agencies were reported (i) lost and (ii) stolen in each year since 2001.

Michael Wills: The figures are set out in the following tables:
	
		
			  (i) lost passes 
			   (a) Department  (b) agencies 
			 2001 no record no record 
			 2002 no record 26 
			 2003 46 75 
			 2004 103 119 
			 2005 131 136 
			 2006 113 131 
			 2007 45 127 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) stolen passes 
			   (a) Department  (b) agencies 
			 2001 no record no record 
			 2002 no record 5 
			 2003 7 16 
			 2004 12 34 
			 2005 14 21 
			 2006 6 19 
			 2007 7 9

Driving Under Influence: Durham

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) arrests,  (b) prosecutions and  (c) convictions for drink driving there were in (i) Easington constituency and (ii) the County of Durham in each year since 2002.

Maria Eagle: The arrests collection held by my Department covers persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences), by main offence group (e.g. violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, theft and handling stolen goods, etc.) and police force area within England and Wales. Information on summary motoring offences including those of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs are non-notifiable and as a result are not covered by the collection.
	Available information held on prosecutions and findings of guilt for offences of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs for the years 2002 to 2005 (latest available) is provided in the following table. 2006 data will be available later this year. The data provided covers both drink and drugs offences combined, as volumes of prosecutions and convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs cannot be accurately established.
	Information is available at police force area level only.
	
		
			  Prosecutions at magistrates courts and findings of guilt at all courts for offences of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1) , within Durham police force area, 2002 to 2005 
			  Number of offences 
			   Proceedings  Findings of guilt 
			 2002 1,247 1,136 
			 2003 1,278 1,170 
			 2004 1,338 1,277 
			 2005 1,249 1,168 
			 (1) Data provided covers summary offences of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs (which cannot be reliably distinguished separately).  Notes:  1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete.  2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Drugs: Smuggling

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons were sentenced to a period in custody for drug-related offences involving bringing the drug into the UK on their person in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: It is not possible to identify separately on the Court Proceedings Database offences involving the unlawful importation of a controlled drug by bringing the drug into the country on their person as the circumstances of the offence are not collected centrally.
	Information on numbers sentenced to immediate custody for the unlawful importation of a controlled drug in the last five years for which annual published statistics are available is contained in the following table.
	Statistics for 2007 will be published in the autumn.
	
		
			  Number of persons sentenced1 for the unlawful importation of a controlled drug, all courts, England and Wales 2002-06, England and Wales 
			  Number of persons 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Offence description  No. sentenced  Immediate custody  No. sentenced  Immediate custody  No. sentenced  Immediate custody  No. sentenced  Immediate custody  No. sentenced  Immediate custody 
			 Offences in relation to the unlawful importation of a drug controlled under Misuse of Drugs Act 1971(2) 1,680 1,488 1,127 1,075 1,026 997 1,030 979 846 787 
			 (1) Principal offence basis. (2) Includes Class A, Class B, Class C and where Class of drug is unknown.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. Source: RDS-NOMS, Ministry of Justice 11 March 2008 Ref. AHA 118-08.

Elections: Information and Communications Technology

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to introduce a right for candidates to request a manual recount of ballot papers in elections where electronic counting equipment is used.

Bridget Prentice: The current rules for local, Greater London Assembly and parliamentary elections specify (whether e-counting is used or not) that a candidate may require the returning officer to have the votes re-counted but that the returning officer may refuse to do so if in his opinion the request is unreasonable. At the GLA elections in May 2008, where e-counting equipment is to be used, the returning officer has been given the discretion to determine the extent to which any re-count involves manual or electronic counting. I have no plans to bring forward any specific proposals in regard to e-counting at this time but I will keep the issue under review.

Electoral Register: Databases

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice by what date he expects the CORE database to be fully operational.

Bridget Prentice: We are continuing to make progress on the CORE project. On 29 February 2008 the Electoral Commission made a recommendation that the Secretary of State issue a Direction to implement data standards across England, Wales and Scotland by 1 December 2009. This is a significant step towards the realisation of CORE. However, a launch date for the CORE Information System cannot be confirmed until the CORE keeper has been appointed. The Electoral Commission is the preferred choice to fulfil this role.

Ministers: Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what expenditure has been incurred by his Department or its predecessor on the ministerial flat in Admiralty House occupied by Lord Falconer after Lord Falconer ceased using the flat; and for what purpose.

Jack Straw: None.

National Offender Management Service: Manpower

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff are employed in the National Offender Management Service in the  (a) Community Reintegration Team,  (b) Intensive Interventions Team,  (c) Attitude Thinking and Behaviour Team,  (d) Performance Area Coordination Unit,  (e) Prospects Unit,  (f) Performance Improvement Unit,  (g) Performance Management Unit and  (h) Enforcement Improvement Team; what the primary responsibilities of each unit are; and how each unit is monitored for value for money.

Maria Eagle: The number of staff employed in each of the National Offender Management Service teams and their primary responsibilities are as follows:
	 (a) Community  r eintegration  t eam: 12
	The work of the community reintegration team is (i) to develop and oversee policy on unpaid work for offenders under community supervision (ii) to support probation areas in their work with offenders under community supervision to help them develop their "skills for life" and gain access to vocational learning and employment; and (iii) to support implementation and monitor probation area performance against targets.
	 (b) Intensive  i nterventions  t eam:  six
	The work of the intensive interventions team is to (i) develop and set operational policy (ii) provide/co-ordinate central operational support to probation areas and prisons (iii) and influence wider Government strategy on the substance misuse needs of offenders under community supervision, the Intensive Alternatives to Custody programme and the correctional services' contribution to the Prolific and Priority Offender programme.
	 (c) Attitude and  b ehaviour  t eam: 23
	The work of the attitude, thinking and behaviour team is to develop and oversee policy on community based offending behaviour programmes. OBPs are designed to teach new skills and change behaviour to help people avoid reoffending and are recommended either by the court as an additional requirement for offenders sentenced to a community disposal or for those being released from custody on license. All programmes are accredited by a panel of experts to agreed standards and the effectiveness and implementation of programmes is constantly evaluated.
	 (d) Probation  a rea  c oordination  u nit: 25
	The probation area coordination unit is responsible for:
	1. The recruitment and human resources management of the 42 Probation Service chief officers and board chairs.
	2. The development of human resources policies, and the effective implementation of these policies, in relation to training and development, health and safety, pay and reward, and workload measurement. The unit liaises with the Probation Boards' Association, the employers' organisation, and negotiates with Probation Service Trade Unions on pay, reward and conditions of service for Probation Service staff.
	 (e) Prospects  u nit:  nine soon to reduce to  three
	The prospects unit managed the delivery of the Prospects programme, which comprised of six separate projects commissioned from the public, private and voluntary sectors. Prospects was a pilot programme originally aimed at drug-using offenders serving short term prison sentences who become abstinent in custody and entered into voluntary support on release, initially in a hostel and then in move-on accommodation.
	 (f) Performance Improvement Team: 11
	 Primary responsibilities:
	The Unit is charged with improving performance and developing capability. They operate a performance improvement framework through which they deliver services which range from internal consultancy and support to direct intervention in underperforming probation areas. They develop and disseminate best practice advice and are also responsible for a range of nationally led improvement projects.
	 (g) Performance  m anagement  u nit: 38
	The performance management unit is responsible for developing a single performance management system for the whole of NOMS that better reflects the key challenges of reducing re-offending and protecting the public. It is also responsible for collecting, auditing and analysing the data that underpins this system, and reporting on performance to Ministers and the NOMS board. It will provide, where necessary, the challenge to prisons and probation to improve performance. It will also develop a system for performance testing in prisons and probation, and is responsible for the policy on standards, performance measurement and compliance.
	 (h) Enforcement Improvement team:  six
	 Primary Responsibilities
	Provides support to the Director of Probation as the SRO for Community Penalty Enforcement programme and chair of the community penalty enforcement group which is one strand of the cross—CJS Enforcement programme which reports to the NCJB. Monitors, manages and reports performance information for the LCJB end to end community Penalty enforcement group. Regular reports to a variety of boards.
	Each unit measures performance against their own internal business plan and the wider NOMS business plan.

Prisoners

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners are held at each  (a) public sector prison and  (b) privately managed prison in England and Wales; and how many were held in each category in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The following table shows the number of prisoners held in each prison establishment in England and Wales as at 31 January 2008 (the most recent figures available) and at 30 June each year since 2003.
	
		
			   June 2003  June 2004  June 2005  June 2006  June 2007  January 2008 
			  Public sector prisons: males   
			 Acklington 835 861 871 844 844 865 
			 Albany 500 504 515 525 520 507 
			 Ashwell 535 517 540 537 539 534 
			 Aylesbury 346 360 425 442 441 432 
			 Bedford 468 489 465 484 468 488 
			 Belmarsh 884 915 896 924 910 925 
			 Birmingham 942 1,394 1,418 1,440 1,450 1,461 
			 Blakenhurst 879 877 1,055 1,061 1,058 1,074 
			 Blantyre House 121 117 117 119 121 118 
			 Blundestone 458 454 464 461 463 459 
			 Brinsford 432 441 444 473 473 449 
			 Bristol 587 563 595 605 585 607 
			 Brixton 804 820 805 801 791 805 
			 Brockhill — — — — 162 162 
			 Buckley Hall — — — 378 383 375 
			 Bullingdon 960 955 964 966 955 965 
			 Bullwood Hall — — — 16 181 191 
			 Camp Hill 537 559 587 581 595 589 
			 Canterbury 287 310 309 282 278 301 
			 Cardiff 682 672 749 758 745 757 
			 Castington 273 367 352 385 386 364 
			 Channings Wood 613 651 661 659 657 715 
			 Chelmsford 597 560 574 580 690 695 
			 Coldingley 389 376 385 390 388 387 
			 Dartmoor 602 606 620 615 627 627 
			 Deerbolt 426 466 434 407 417 441 
			 Dorchester 253 219 241 248 241 232 
			 Dover 295 244 287 249 299 301 
			 Durham 605 592 675 855 950 950 
			 Edmunds Hill — — 157 351 360 341 
			 Elmley 995 916 982 985 977 980 
			 Erlestoke 390 419 421 421 424 408 
			 Everthorpe 449 466 469 658 665 676 
			 Exeter 520 521 522 499 481 479 
			 Featherstone 611 606 612 610 613 673 
			 Feltham 639 637 608 604 599 583 
			 Ford 524 515 518 382 464 494 
			 Frankland 656 670 710 707 725 721 
			 Full Sutton 605 600 593 573 586 602 
			 Garth 654 652 639 605 614 749 
			 Gartree 282 409 442 473 574 575 
			 Glen Parva 766 701 785 799 813 812 
			 Gloucester 290 305 281 311 276 300 
			 Grendon/Spring Hill 536 518 524 530 530 528 
			 Guys Marsh 557 563 558 564 570 562 
			 Haslar 138 97 107 142 121 124 
			 Haverigg 558 545 541 563 563 577 
			 Hewell Grange 172 164 170 157 167 176 
			 Highdown 735 753 742 741 740 932 
			 Highpoint South 691 801 799 811 806 796 
			 Hindley 527 476 403 418 502 489 
			 Hollesley Bay 281 268 293 233 298 325 
			 Holme House 992 920 967 986 972 1,003 
			 Hull 1,038 1,051 1,032 980 1,023 1,032 
			 Huntercombe 265 346 340 356 359 358 
			 Kennet — — — — 20 310 
			 Kingston/Portsmouth) 186 137 193 193 199 198 
			 Kirkham 523 530 549 399 514 448 
			 Kirklevington 223 222 221 218 222 222 
			 Lancaster 237 226 241 242 227 171 
			 Lancaster Farms 464 482 521 518 530 484 
			 Latchmere House 189 196 203 182 206 197 
			 Leeds 1,244 1,239 1,241 1,170 996 996 
			 Leicester 386 385 336 344 348 342 
			 Lewes 487 482 527 536 522 529 
			 Leyhill 500 496 484 321 411 381 
			 Lincoln 454 456 469 484 645 705 
			 Lindholme 736 671 808 834 982 1,053 
			 Littlehey 655 691 699 695 699 699 
			 Liverpool 1,446 1,390 1,363 1,325 1,329 1,388 
			 Long Lartin 433 436 443 437 443 402 
			 Maidstone 541 542 547 584 582 468 
			 Manchester 1,266 1,209 1,227 1,239 1,218 1,218 
			 Moorland 772 761 746 768 779 778 
			 Moorland Open 249 242 238 239 242 248 
			 North Sea Camp 292 284 290 269 272 281 
			 Northallerton 221 222 196 218 249 242 
			 Norwich 704 728 781 760 567 518 
			 Nottingham 545 511 505 513 528 551 
			 Onley 543 500 505 576 618 626 
			 Parkhurst 496 498 511 508 522 487 
			 Pentonville 1,185 1,190 1,188 1,139 1,142 1,134 
			 Portland 433 462 392 479 542 537 
			 Preston 667 628 603 674 707 728 
			 Ranby 783 847 1,028 1,032 1,018 1,017 
			 Reading 244 256 291 283 262 259 
			 Risley 1,066 1,061 1,066 1,064 1,082 1,082 
			 Rochester 164 304 391 388 387 391 
			 Shepton Mallet 185 185 187 185 187 179 
			 Shrewsbury 348 299 293 340 326 324 
			 Stafford 629 670 678 671 675 671 
			 Standford Hill 447 445 450 398 405 427 
			 Stocken 618 614 613 613 624 733 
			 Stoke Heath 611 648 624 663 673 560 
			 Sudbury 516 550 525 545 533 533 
			 Swaleside 773 770 772 777 778 772 
			 Swansea 360 336 418 425 412 426 
			 Swinfen Hall 312 417 581 606 619 612 
			 The Mount 761 743 696 716 717 753 
			 The Verne 585 568 585 582 592 592 
			 The Weare 392 368 202 — — — 
			 Thorn Cross 182 252 234 205 240 211 
			 Usk/Prescoed 384 415 418 416 417 397 
			 Wakefield 566 553 549 718 744 743 
			 Wandsworth 1,474 1,456 1,433 1,454 1,473 1,475 
			 Warren Hill 190 215 211 216 212 212 
			 Wayland 700 697 697 691 699 696 
			 Wealstun 620 585 777 781 800 763 
			 Wellingborough 516 504 539 604 636 637 
			 Werrington 113 138 134 155 146 126 
			 Wetherby 329 286 342 338 354 345 
			 Whatton 352 353 353 748 759 818 
			 Whitemoor 414 416 438 432 463 454 
			 Winchester 562 647 691 710 540 543 
			 Woodhill 757 748 759 772 828 823 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 1,193 1,254 1,239 1,242 1,243 1,261 
			 Wymott 841 1,009 1,039 1,040 1,057 1,057 
			  Public sector prisons: females   
			 Askham Grange 122 130 87 110 109 96 
			 Brockhill 155 142 126 42 — — 
			 Buckley Hall 308 313 343 187 — — 
			 Bullwood Hall 163 166 146 344 — — 
			 Cookham Wood 143 138 164 1 180 — 
			 Downview 212 210 238 274 342 346 
			 Dover — — — 88 — — 
			 Drake Hall 303 293 274 349 231 310 
			 Durham 107 94 6 — — — 
			 East Sutton Park 99 95 96 236 100 91 
			 Eastwood Park 286 286 278 458 339 334 
			 Edmunds Hill — 231 — — — — 
			 Foston Hall 224 221 221 262 228 268 
			 Highpoint North 293 — — — — — 
			 Holloway 465 458 430 353 451 473 
			 Low Newton 268 311 282 335 233 301 
			 Morton Hall 347 347 311 212 315 351 
			 New Hall 374 336 278 448 356 421 
			 Send 216 218 217 — 195 208 
			 Styal 426 400 385 — 433 438 
			 Winchester 84 — — — — — 
			
			  Contracted prisons   
			 Altcourse 1,006 1,002 898 1,008 1,099 1,307 
			 Ashfield 312 310 310 357 385 355 
			 Doncaster 1,116 1,100 1,039 1,114 1,126 1,148 
			 Dovegate 852 842 787 823 838 840 
			 Forest Bank 1,013 1,008 1,035 1,053 1,047 1,123 
			 Lowdham Grange 524 517 487 527 660 674 
			 Parc 1,002 1,010 961 1,049 1,112 1,124 
			 Peterborough (men) — — 323 480 559 624 
			 Rye Hill 649 660 595 593 646 593 
			 The Wolds 343 354 298 297 378 366 
			 Bronzefield (women) — 63 421 432 444 437 
			 Peterborough (women) — — 211 332 327 360 
			 Total prison population 73,657 74,488 76,190 77,982 79,734 80,892 
		
	
	The aforementioned table is drawn from (a) F1032 tables, copies of which are held in the House of Commons Library, for data from 2003 to 2005 and (b) published monthly tables, for more recent data, which can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Education

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in England and Wales have  (a) applied for and  (b) received student loans in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, made a Statement to the House on 7 February. In it he stated that he would endeavour to make further relevant information available to the House prior to any debate on the revised regulations.

Prisoners: Females

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners are being held at each women's prison in England and Wales; and how many were being held in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the number of female prisoners in each prison establishment in England and Wales as at (a) 31 January 2008 (the most recent figures available) and (b) 30 June in each of the last five years:
	
		
			   June 2003  June 2004  June 2005  June 2006  June 2007  January 2008 
			 Askham Grange 122 130 87 110 109 96 
			 Brockhill 155 142 126 42 — — 
			 Bronzefield — 63 421 432 444 437 
			 Buckley Hall 308 313 343 — — — 
			 Bullwood Hall 163 166 146 — — — 
			 Cookham Wood 143 138 164 187 180 — 
			 Downview 212 210 238 344 342 346 
			 Drake Hall 303 293 274 274 231 310 
			 Durham 107 94 6 — — — 
			 East Sutton Park 99 95 96 88 100 91 
			 Eastwood Park 286 286 278 349 339 334 
			 Edmunds Hill — 231 — — — — 
			 Foston Hall 224 221 221 236 228 268 
			 Highpoint North 293 — — — — — 
			 Holloway 465 458 430 458 451 473 
			 Low Newton 268 311 282 262 233 301 
			 Morton Hall 347 347 311 353 315 351 
			 New Hall 374 336 278 335 356 421 
			 Peterborough — — 211 332 327 360 
			 Send 216 218 217 212 195 208 
			 Styal 426 400 385 448 433 438 
			 Winchester 84 — — — — — 
			 Total 4,595 4,452 4,514 4,463 4,283 4,434 
			  Note: During this period, seven of the prisons (Brockhill, Buckley Hall, Bullwood Hall, Cookham Wood, Durham, Edmunds Hill (formerly Highpoint North) and Winchester) changed function to accommodate male prisoners. This was to assist in the management of population pressures in the male estate. 
		
	
	The aforementioned table is drawn from (a) F1032 tables, copies of which are held in the House of Commons Library, for data from 2003 to 2005 and (b) published monthly tables, for more recent data, which can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Muslims

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1213W, on prisoners: Muslims, what the scheme is called; and what public funding is allocated to it in 2007-08.

Maria Eagle: The project is a mentoring scheme to help re-settle Muslim offenders into the community.

Prisons: Manpower

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers are employed at each  (a) public sector prison and  (b) privately managed prison in England and Wales; and how many were employed in each category in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of officer grade staff at each public sector and privately managed Prison Service establishment on 31 January 2008 is contained in the following tables.
	
		
			  Full-time-equivalent prison officers, senior officers and principal officers in public sector establishments—as at 31 January 2008 
			  Establishment  Officer grades 
			 Acklington 242 
			 Albany 143 
			 Ashwell 103 
			 Askham Grange 29 
			 Aylesbury 180 
			 Bedford 147 
			 Belmarsh 518 
			 Birmingham 511 
			 Blakenhurst 252 
			 Blantyre House 35 
			 Blundestone 148 
			 Brinsford 240 
			 Bristol 218 
			 Brixton 219 
			 Brockhill 72 
			 Buckley Hall 105 
			 Bullingdon 242 
			 Bullwood Hall 80 
			 Camp Hill 160 
			 Canterbury 103 
			 Cardiff 246 
			 Castington 220 
			 Channings Wood 171 
			 Chelmsford 226 
			 Coldingley 92 
			 Cookham Wood 84 
			 Dartmoor 165 
			 Deerbolt 184 
			 Dorchester 105 
			 Dover 122 
			 Downview 116 
			 Drake Hall 84 
			 Durham 325 
			 East Sutton Park 18 
			 Eastwood Park 158 
			 Edmunds Hill 125 
			 Erlestoke 124 
			 Everthorpe 174 
			 Exeter 178 
			 Featherstone 154 
			 Feltham 400 
			 Ford 61 
			 Foston Hall 144 
			 Frankland 588 
			 Full Sutton 462 
			 Garth 283 
			 Gartree 202 
			 Glen Parva 257 
			 Gloucester 121 
			 Grendon 141 
			 Guys Marsh 135 
			 Haslar 54 
			 Haverigg 137 
			 He well Grange 30 
			 High Down 244 
			 Highpoint 188 
			 Hindley 221 
			 Hollesley Bay 52 
			 Holloway 260 
			 Holme House 304 
			 Hull 324 
			 Huntercombe 151 
			 Kennet 141 
			 Kingston 75 
			 Kirkham 93 
			 Kirklevington Grange 46 
			 Lancaster 86 
			 Lancaster Farms 246 
			 Latchmere House 35 
			 Leeds 378 
			 Leicester 134 
			 Lewes 172 
			 Leyhill 70 
			 Lincoln 205 
			 Lindholme 243 
			 Littlehey 159 
			 Liverpool 408 
			 Long Lartin 354 
			 Low Newton 152 
			 Maidstone 150 
			 Manchester 495 
			 Moorland 325 
			 Morton Hall 112 
			 New Hall 211 
			 North Sea Camp 56 
			 Northallerton 64 
			 Norwich 201 
			 Nottingham 217 
			 Onley 192 
			 Parkhurst 179 
			 Pentonville 362 
			 Portland 207 
			 Preston 258 
			 Ranby 267 
			 Reading 111 
			 Risley 290 
			 Rochester 178 
			 Send 77 
			 Sheppey Cluster 615 
			 Shepton Mallet 63 
			 Shrewsbury 106 
			 Stafford 170 
			 Stocken 177 
			 Stoke Heath 250 
			 Styal 188 
			 Sudbury 66 
			 Swansea 149 
			 Swinfen Hall 202 
			 The Mount 175 
			 The Verne 109 
			 Thorn Cross 115 
			 Usk/Prescoed 88 
			 Wakefield 441 
			 Wandsworth 390 
			 Warren Hill 139 
			 Wayland 207 
			 Wealstun 195 
			 Wellingborough 175 
			 Werrington 84 
			 Wetherby 173 
			 Whatton 211 
			 Whitemoor 430 
			 Winchester 182 
			 Woodhill 423 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 321 
			 Wymott 269 
			 All establishments 24,634 
		
	
	
		
			  Full-time-equivalent prison custody officers and senior prison custody  o fficers in private sector establishments—as at 31 January 2008 
			  Establishment  Officer grades 
			 Ashfield 177 
			 Altcourse 342 
			 Bronzefield 175 
			 Doncaster 267 
			 Dovegate 169 
			 Forest Bank 212 
			 Lowdham Grange 173 
			 Parc 279 
			 Peterborough 344 
			 Rye Hill 148 
			 Wolds 110 
			 Total 2,396 
		
	
	Information on the total number of officers employed within each sector over the past five years is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Officer grade staff by sector, 2003 to 2007 
			  As at 31 March  Public sector  Private sector 
			 2003(1) 23,129 260 
			 2004(2) 23,735 1,431 
			 2005(3) 23,875 2,034 
			 2006 24,111 2,197 
			 2007 24,273 2,356 
			 (1) Information available from only one out of nine privately managed establishments. (2) Information not available from two out of nine privately managed establishments. (3) Information not available from one out of 11 privately managed establishments.

Prisons: Smuggling

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) drug finds and  (b) mobile phone finds there were in each prison in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of  (a) drug related incidents, and  (b) centrally reported mobile phone finds is contained in the following table.
	Drug related incidents include: finds of drugs; finds of drug implements and indications from drug dog searches. It is not possible to distinguish between these drug-related incidents without examining each record of every incident which would incur disproportionate cost. Information on mobile phone finds reflects the number of mobile phones and SIM cards sent to Prison Service headquarters for analysis by establishments. There are no other centrally held figures on mobile phone finds. To survey each prison establishment for this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Drug related incidents( 1)  Mobile Phones/SIMS( 1) 
			  Establishment  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2006  2007 
			 HMP Altcourse 75 130 126 99 130 — — 
			 HMP Askham Grange — — — — 1 — — 
			 HMP Acklington 17 23 39 76 62 — — 
			 HMP Albany 3 1 — 1 2 — — 
			 HMYOI Ashfield 22 12 5 5 9 — — 
			 HMP Ashwell 44 20 28 13 11 9 3 
			 HMYOI Aylesbury 5 4 4 3 2 17 22 
			 HMP Belmarsh 5 4 7 7 16 94 65 
			 HMP Buckley Hall 41 48 35 142 85 9 41 
			 HMP Blundeston 17 28 29 29 27 52 47 
			 HMP Bedford 30 24 28 32 40 31 23 
			 HMP Blantyre House — — — — — 1 2 
			 HMP Brockhill 13 9 32 16 3 2 7 
			 HMP Bristol 23 43 66 30 27 28 46 
			 HMP Birmingham 82 17 31 30 27 26 17 
			 HMP Bullingdon 10 35 30 19 45 27 25 
			 HMRC Brinsford 30 68 49 28 8 11 32 
			 HMP Blakenhurst 74 53 85 123 126 27 100 
			 HMP Bullwood Hall — — 1 — 4 3 — 
			 HMP Brixton 5 8 5 7 14  83 
			 HMP Bronzefield — 21 57 40 40 — — 
			 HMP Chelmsford 32 39 62 56 42 20 5 
			 HMP Cardiff 22 19 32 48 12 14 29 
			 HMP Camp Hill 19 63 54 47 43 — 10 
			 HMP Cookham Wood 3 2 — 1 — — 12 
			 HMP Coldingley 7 7 1 7 4 9 17 
			 HMYOI Castington 11 7 2 23 21 — 1 
			 HMP Channings Wood 5 13 24 60 36 2 58 
			 HMP Canterbury 13 26 28 15 1 20 10 
			 HMP Dartmoor 6 9 18 14 4 19 40 
			 HMP Dovegate 53 33 83 63 57 49 — 
			 HMP Drake Hall 13 — 13 5 13 3 — 
			 HMP Durham 102 81 167 172 187 7 22 
			 HMP Doncaster 15 20 12 15 22 15 — 
			 HMP Dorchester 12 6 5 9 19 30 9 
			 HMYOI Deerbolt 11 1 5 14 12 — 6 
			 HMYOI Dover 3 1 4 9 55 3 4 
			 HMP Downview 10 7 3 — — 2 9 
			 HMP Erlestoke 3 2 25 16 20 37 74 
			 HMP Edmunds Hill 14 33 19 30 38 2 60 
			 HMP East Sutton Park — — — — — — 9 
			 HMRC Everthorpe 30 17 23 29 34 11 1 
			 HMYOI Eastwood Park 2 4 — — 1 3 7 
			 HMP Exeter 89 65 60 65 68 10 16 
			 HMP Elmley 46 73 70 25 99 23 33 
			 HMP Forest Bank 366 402 549 485 351 57 — 
			 HMP Ford 2 88 162 140 128 26 25 
			 HMP Foston Hall 15 37 29 5 18 — — 
			 HMP Frankland 28 23 23 37 20 8 29 
			 HMRC Feltham 143 90 77 95 54 — — 
			 HMP Full Sutton 11 6 10 5 2 33 22 
			 HMP Featherstone 45 74 55 46 42 14 14 
			 HMP Garth 51 109 96 103 106 54 24 
			 HMP Gloucester 41 36 22 32 32 5 33 
			 HMYOI Guys Marsh 8 8 8 25 44 56 15 
			 HMP Grendon/Spring Hill 8 — 1 1 1 70 42 
			 HMRC Glen Parva 41 14 36 44 40 4 28 
			 HMP Gartree 6 3 7 4 4 10 25 
			 HMYOI Hollesley Bay — — — — — — — 
			 HMYOI Huntercombe — 1 0 4 0 — 1 
			 HMP Moorland Open 10 16 23 15 6 — 28 
			 HMYOI Hewell Grange — — — — — 5 56 
			 HMP Holme House 73 85 191 98 167 3 22 
			 HMP Hollesley Bay 60 33 22 19 22 4 79 
			 HMRC Hindley 61 30 19 12 14 1 34 
			 HMP Hull 51 52 48 53 53 19 66 
			 HMP High Down 4 10 2 5 4 14 — 
			 HMP Highpoint 95 117 134 110 130 81 231 
			 HMP Haslar — — — — — — — 
			 HMP Haverigg 38 38 47 92 80 26 26 
			 HMP Holloway 22 19 11 2 10 — — 
			 HMP Kirkham 8 5 77 86 89 12 122 
			 HMP Kingston/Portsmouth 2 1 2 4 5 12 — 
			 HMP Kennet — — — — 6 — 6 
			 HMYOI Kirklevington — — 1 9 14 6 24 
			 HMP Lancaster 28 35 51 21 5 16 5 
			 HMP Leicester 32 42 67 70 90 12 38 
			 HMP Leeds 59 46 39 29 19 52 48 
			 HMP Lancaster Farms 33 18 12 19 11 — 18 
			 HMP Lowdham Grange 26 50 57 136 213 1 — 
			 HMP Lindholme 73 47 42 88 63 7 12 
			 HMP Lincoln 63 57 80 35 61 30 29 
			 HMP Long Lartin 3 7 16. 43 27 71 96 
			 HMRC Latchmere House — — — — — — — 
			 HMRC Low Newton 46 111 125 178 167 1 — 
			 HMP Liverpool 253 246 54 7 49 56 59 
			 HMP Littlehey 7 8 3 1 2 4 11 
			 HMP Lewes 37 53 69 77 124 45 40 
			 HMP Leyhill 2 4 49 55 92 12 43 
			 HMRC Moorland Closed 63 68 69 83 96 17 19 
			 HMP Morton Hall 4 — 3 10 4 14 1 
			 HMP Manchester 180 228 157 106 116 62 75 
			 HMP Maidstone 13 12 25 34 36 32 25 
			 HMP The Mount 13 32 52 93 101 87 47 
			 HMYOI Nothallerton 9 8 7 1 12 1 13 
			 HMP New Hall 5 6 22 25 46 4 1 
			 HMP North Sea Camp 20 14 16, 6 13 48 58 
			 HMRC Norwich 111 65 88 77 42 11 35 
			 HMP Nottingham 19 44 33 45 39 21 48 
			 HMYOI Onley 12 11 20 44 55 6 23 
			 HMP Peterborough — — 32 88 86 41 — 
			 HMYOI Portland 13 12 4 18 21 — — 
			 HMP Parkhurst 5 2 3 1 4 38 — 
			 HMP Preston 57 36 68 135 171 — 32 
			 HMP Pare 79 91 109 74 63 6 — 
			 HMP Pentonville 76 123 140 70 75 — 195 
			 HMRC Rochester 12 17 12 10 15 2 6 
			 HMP Reading 7 — — 1 1 — 1 
			 HMP Rye Hill 6 5 2 91 40 — — 
			 HMP Ranby 11 6 3 11 18 21 4 
			 HMP Risley 172 188 202 146 174 14 45 
			 HMP Send 1 2 2 2 — — 4 
			 HMP Standford Hill 2 14 27 20 7 15 28 
			 HMP Stafford 34 43 66 16 54 16 21 
			 HMRC Stoke Heath 6 7 6 22 28 10 3 
			 HMP Stocken 9 12 21 11 10 22 7 
			 HMP Swaleside 8 7 1 3 8 32 123 
			 HMP Shepton Mallet 2 — — — — — 2 
			 HMYOI Swinfen Hall 13 18 8 1 1 30 31 
			 HMP Styal 94 132 66 73 60 8 6 
			 HMP Sudbury 42 25 73 50 86 11 1 
			 HMRC Swansea 2 3 3S 5 2 4 3 
			 HMP Shrewsbury 39 70 30 32 18 7 — 
			 HMYOI Thorn Cross 12 1 1 9 7 20 2 
			 HMP Usk 1 — — 1 1 — 1 
			 HMP The Verne 15 15 9 6 5 3 9 
			 HMP The Weare 26 23 1 Closed Closed Closed Closed 
			 HMYOI Wellingborough 10 22 73 69 57 24 11 
			 HMP Winchester — 1 — — 1 — — 
			 HMP Wakefield — 1 — 2 1 2 2 
			 HMP Wealstun 7 20 36 22 5 1 9 
			 HMP Woodhill 3 2 — — 11 23 57 
			 HMP Warren Hill 12 14 30 13 5 — — 
			 HMP Wayland 26 29 28 15 18 23 51 
			 HMP Wymott 53 50 72 54 67 1 24 
			 HMYOI Werrington 1 — — 1 — 2 6 
			 HMRC Wolds 66 85 36 73 128 2 — 
			 HMP Whitemoor 7 3 4 2 14 11 42 
			 HMP Wormwood Scrubs 116 173 223 104 81 136 197 
			 HMP Whatton — — — — — 1 2 
			 HMP Wandsworth 45 65 38 22 21 — 31 
			 HMYOI Wetherby 14 10 21 9 4 3 5 
			 (1) These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.

Probation: Finance

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will ensure that funding for probation services is ring-fenced for the next three financial years.

David Hanson: As I explained in my written ministerial statement "Investing in Alternatives to Custody" on 11 March 2008,  Official Report, column l5WS, the Government have made a further £40 million available to the Probation Service in 2008-09, in support of delivery plans in each probation area. The funding allocations for the Probation Service in 2009-10 and 2010-11 will be decided and announced in due course.

Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to publish the results of the review on the use of restraint on young people in secure accommodation.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	An announcement will be made in the House shortly.

Vandalism: Durham

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) arrests,  (b) prosecutions and  (c) convictions there were for vandalism in (i) Easington constituency and (ii) the County of Durham in each year since 2002.

Maria Eagle: The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences), by age group, gender, ethnicity and main offence group. Information is given in table 1 as follows for Durham police force area for the number of persons arrested for offences within the main offence group 'criminal damage'.
	Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty of criminal damage are given in table 2 as follows. The Ministry of Justice is unable to identify cases involving vandalism since both the arrest and court appearance collections are on an offence basis and do not identify the circumstances behind the offences.
	Information is given in the tables for Durham police force area. Data are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	
		
			  Table 1: N umber of persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) of criminal damage( 1)  in Durham police force area, by period 
			  Period  Total 
			 2001-02 n/a 
			 2002-03 n/a 
			 2003-04 2,346 
			 2004-05 2,813 
			 2005-06 3,480 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Includes indictable offences for criminal damage and summary offences of criminal damage, £5,000 or less.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts of criminal damage( 1)  in Durham police force area, 2002 to 2006( 2) 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Area  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Durham 946 719 889 632 852 669 855 709 980 777 
			 (1) Includes indictable offences for criminal damage and summary offences of criminal damage, £5,000 or less, and in addition offences under section 19 the Allotments Act 1922. (2) These data are on the principal offence basis.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Wind Power

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice to which wind farm proposals his Department lodged objection in each of the last three years; and for what reasons in each case.

Maria Eagle: There have been no such objections lodged.